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ERNEST on new album and overcoming a heart attack at 19 to follow his country music dreams
Celebrated for his impromptu lyrics and catchy melodies, country music singer-songwriter Ernest Smith said he first realized his knack for songwriting in sixth grade when he listened to the “Space Jam” soundtrack.
“I was ingesting rap at like, you know, second, third grade,” said ERNEST.
His love for music blossomed in elementary school, where he honed his skills by freestyling at the lunch table and making up songs about friends.
“They throw out words, I’d make up rhymes. And that was, that was kind of like when I realized I had a skill for it,” said ERNEST.
That skill has earned him nine No. 1 hits and led to ERNEST writing with and for some of country music’s biggest names, like Kane Brown and ERNEST’s good friend, Jelly Roll.
His songwriting took him to Nashville, where he signed a record deal and recently released an album named after his hometown, “Nashville, Tennessee.”
“I call it ‘Nashville, Tennessee’ because the DNA of music city to me is, is based on and around songwriters and that’s what I want to display throughout this whole album. I want to put songwriters on the map,” said ERNEST.
But ERNEST’s destination wasn’t always clear.
He was adopted as a baby. His dad was a baseball coach, so ERNEST grew up on the field, eventually earning a scholarship to play in college. But life had other plans. At 19, he experienced an unexpected heart attack due to a viral infection.
“When they told me I was having a heart attack, I was like, wow, you know? I was in great shape,” he recalled.
That pushed him to leave college baseball and fully commit to his music career, a choice that has clearly paid off.
Now firmly established in his music career, ERNEST is selling out shows and recently performed two nights at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville — a venue that holds special significance for him.
“This is the one venue you can’t outgrow,” he said.
In a touching tribute to his bond with the venue, ERNEST named his son Ryman, hoping to pass on the connection to future generations.
“I hope he always feels a connection to this place like I did. And like, when I’m gone, he can come here and feel me.”
ERNEST says now is the time to share his perspective through his music.
“This is the first record that I’ve been able to be selfish and like not give songs away,” he said. “I’m proud to say I was selfish with these because, uh, before I, I don’t regret any song I’ve given away, but I think if I were to give some of these away on this album, I might have regretted it.”
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Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
