Stoneman, born as Ernest Stoneman in 1893 in Carroll County, Virginia, was a pivotal figure in the early development of American country and folk music. He gained prominence in the 1920s as one of the first recording artists of the genre, notably with hits like "The Sinking of the Titanic." A talented multi-instrumentalist, Stoneman was instrumental in the influential Bristol Sessions of 1927, which helped launch the careers of other country music legends like the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. Despite facing financial hardships during the Great Depression, his contribution to music endured, and he experienced a revival in the 1950s and 1960s alongside his family ensemble, The Stoneman Family. Ernest Stoneman passed away in 1968, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the annals of American country music.