"With strong 'words of earnest' impeachment and yet so cautiously that he prefers to quote old dead authors..." 
Andrew Steimetz-1848 in History of the Jesuits.
Welcome to Words of Ernest, Friends. I am a multi-faceted writer/author/music journalist, non-mainstream performing singer-songwriter. I also love to cover traditional old time tunes and several songwriters whose work I love. I play guitar, fiddle, keyboards and mountain dulcimer. Call it folk. If it ain't fun, I ain't doin it. Read all about Words of Ernest here.

 

Story Songs continues at the 50th Walnut Valley Festival with Special Guests, Chris Jones, Kelly Hunt and Still on the Hill!

Ernie Hill invites you to join him, Chris Jones, Still on The Hill and Kelly Hunt for Story Songs, at the 50th Annual Walnut Valley Festival and National Flatpicking Championships, Saturday, September 17th, Stage 2, at 9:00a.m.  Walnut Valley Festival, Click the link to get your tickets and please, read on. 

This year's panel is loaded with great songwriters, Chris Jones's new album, "Make Each Second Last", has yielded 6 consecutive #1 Bluegrass hits! Kelly Hunt's debut CD, "Even the Sparrow" has garnered great reviews from Rolling Stone and has been added to "20 Best Folk Albums for 2019" by popmatters, and also "10 best Country and Americana songs to hear now"-Rolling Stone Country. Kelly and Donna Mulhollan aka Still On The Hill, are Folk-music songwriting story-tellers from the Arkansaw Ozarks, having created numerous programs aimed at preservation of the Ozarks, wildlife and peace as well as dedicating complete albums to such historic landmarks as Cane Hill. They have travelled the world with their music and have been recognized for their songwriting and roots causes by such festivals as the Walnut Valley Festival, The Philadelphia Folk Festival and the Kerrville Folk Festival and countless others. The Mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansaw, their hometown, proclaimed December 20, "Still on the Hill Day" for all of the work this duo does in community service. Click each pic to learn more about these special guests for this year's Story Songs with Ernie.

 

Chris Jones of Chris Jones and the Night Drivers

Kelly Hunt

Donna and Kelly Mulhollan, "Still on the Hill"

Click pic to ck out Story Songs and see the full set from JHMF9 with The Matchsellers, Bill Poss and The Whispering Willows!

Books, Songs, T Shirts, Coasters, Stickers, Writing Services For All Occasions, Performance and Festival Consultation! Click to visit the Buy Lines store.

"I have had the great pleasure to work with Ernie for more years than he or I probably would want to admit. At our request, Ernie has written opening statements for the 'Walnut Valley Festival Program' close to a dozen times, numerous invitation letters for the “Walnut Valley July Occasional” advertising folder, the over-view story for our festival wrap up “December Occasional” and assorted recording reviews of performing artists, and human interest stories in our daily festival publication “The WVA Voice”. The total number of times we have reproduced Ernie’s stories has surpassed over 450,000 copies and we have been more than pleased by the craft at which Ernie composes each of the stories we have commissioned him to write. We would recommend Ernie Hill to assist anyone that has a story to tell and a desire to express it in a creative, down to-earth, professional way. You can expect to find more of Ernie’s work in the future publications of the Walnut Valley Festival. Rex Flottman, Media Director Walnut Valley Association
www.wvfest.com

"Ernie Hill is a quintessential fan of music and the history of American music, and as such, he loves the craft, the art, the pure sound, and the people who make it. His writing is loving and honest. He’s a troubadour for roots music and musicians — and the stories they carry within.” -Betse Ellis of Betse and Clarke

Mike Flynn-Host of 'The Folk Sampler', NPR  "Ernie writes very well...getting to the meat of the story with ease.  He writes about things he understands...and loves. That all shows in his stories.”