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Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Ernie Palmer

Ernie Palmer is a long-retired elementary school teacher who has spent his life steeped in stories, music, and a deep love of family. He and his wife Gale have been married for 48 years, and best friends even longer—going strong for over half a century. Together they’ve raised two daughters and now enjoy time with their three grandsons.

Born and raised in Cartersville, Georgia, Ernie grew up in a working-class home—his father a cemetery caretaker and his mother a textile mill worker. Their modest house was always filled with strong coffee, good food, and the laughter and stories of neighbors and family. Those tales of bootleggers, family feuds, wars, and the struggles of the Great Depression still echo through the lyrics of his songs.

In 1969, Ernie was drafted and served as an infantryman in Vietnam. After returning home, he held a variety of jobs—working at a bank, driving dump trucks, even collecting garbage—before enrolling in college and earning degrees in history and education. He went on to spend most of his teaching career in and around Cartersville, with a memorable five-year stretch teaching on U.S. military bases in Japan and Germany.

Now retired, Ernie devotes his time to writing songs and gathering with friends to play music. He and Gale also make a point of traveling as often as they can.

When it comes to what shaped his life and music, Ernie credits Gale first and foremost, followed closely by his parents and his experience in Vietnam. Musically, his heart leans toward the Texas songwriting tradition, drawing inspiration from artists like Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Robert Earl Keen, and Steve Earle.

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