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Tennessee Ernie Ford remains one of the world's most legendary, beloved entertainers.

In a career that spanned more than half a century, Ford made an indelible impact on millions of people through his unparalleled accomplishments in radio, records and television.

From his early success as a radio personality, to his signing with Capitol Records in 1949, Ford was catapulted to international fame virtually overnight, becoming, by 1955, one of show business's first genuine superstars, establishing milestones unrivaled in the entertainment world.

In 1954, he introduced an entire generation to Lucy Ricardo's cousin, Ernie, in the first two-part "I Love Lucy" episode ever filmed. In January of 1955, NBC signed him to host his first daily network series. In October, "Sixteen Tons" was released, becoming the fastest selling single in the history of the record business, and earning the first Gold Record ever awarded by Capitol Records. In 1956, his first album of inspirational music, entitled simply, "Hymns" was released, and remained on Billboard magazine's Top Pop Albums chart for 277 consecutive weeks. From 1956-1961, his top-rated prime-time series, NBC's The Ford Show featured 130 of Hollywood's most brilliant guest stars, brought him into 30 million homes every week, and earned him four Emmy nominations. In 1961, he was given three stars at the unveiling of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for radio, records, and television. In 1984, his name was added to the roster of recipients of The Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in 1990, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

TEF Enterprises is proud to be able to provide these great, classic clips from The Ford Show, exclusively on YouTube.

Enjoy!