Over the course of his career, a number of musicians who were to become well known passed through his band. These included vocalist and drummer Roy Milton.[4],[Yusef Lateef, Booker Ervin, Rene Hall and Teddy Edwards] ("Going Back to T-Town: The Ernie Fields Territory Big Band"] University of Oklahoma Press ISBN 978-0-8061-9184-3 hardcover)
From the late 1920s, he led a band called the Royal Entertainers, and eventually began touring more widely, and recording. Supported by Bob Wills, Fields' band became the first African-American band to play at the landmark Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa.[3] In 1939, he was invited to New York City by John Hammond to record for the Vocalion label, and began to tour nationally.[1] He did not become a star, but continued to work steadily, recording for smaller labels, and gradually transforming his sound through a smaller band and a repertoire shift from big band, swing to R&B. During World War II, he entertained troops both at home and abroad.[1]
Rendezvous Records folded in late 1963, and Fields retired soon after and returned to Tulsa.[1] He died in May 1997, at the age of 92.[1] In 2013 his family donated his memorabilia to the planned Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture.[3]
His son is the saxophonist and bandleader Ernie Fields, Jr., and his daughter Carmen became a journalist in Boston, where she co-hosted the evening news for WGBH-TV.[3]
