Ernest B. Ford was born in D'Lo, Mississippi on February 23, 1916. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1938. A lyricist, he collaborated on more than two hundred songs with many different composers. Among Ford's co-writers represented in this collection are Geoffrey O'Hara, J. Rosamond Johnson, Billy Mills, and Doc Bechtel. Ford retired in 1981 after serving 34 years as an advertising executive with the Houston Chronicle. Ford also owned Gulf Coast Music (publishing company). On April 16, 1991, Ford died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was buried in Houston at Forest Park Cemetery. Sources: Obituary. "Ernest B. Ford." Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel. 19 April 1991: A2.