Remembering Ernest Tubb 1914-1984

Country Music Hall of Famer,   Ernest Dale Tubb (February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984), nicknamed the Texas Troubadour and known fondly to his many friends and fans simply as E.T. was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" (1941), marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music. In 1948, he was the first singer to record a hit version of "Blue Christmas", a song more commonly associated with Elvis Presley and his mid-1950s version. Another well-known Tubb hit was "Waltz Across Texas" (1965), which became one of his most requested songs and is often used in dance halls throughout Texas during waltz lessons.




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Few country singers have inspired more affection than Ernest Tubb, the affable "Texas Troubadour." Tubb's career spanned some fifty years and effectively bridged the gap between the first true country recording artists, like Jimmie Rodgers, and the latest generation of stars, like Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn. So many "firsts" are associated with Tubb that it is easy to miss a few: he was the first country artist to popularize electric guitar accompaniment, the first major purveyor of honky-tonk music, and the first country musician to headline a performance at Carnegie Hall. He is also remembered fondly for the helping hand he gave freely to other aspiring singers, among them Elvis Presley, Jack Greene, and Cal Smith. *

Ernest Tubb single-handly did more to bring Country Music to the people and extended a helping hand to more struggling artists than he has been--or ever will be recognized for!  Thankfully, his music and his legacy live on!  - Loudilla Johnson; Owner, International Fan Club Organization.

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Tubb was regularly on the charts through 1969 with such hits as "Goodnight Irene" (with Red Foley in 1950), "I Love You Because," "Missing in Action," "Two Glasses Joe" (1954), "Half a Mind", "Thanks A Lot", "Mr. and Mrs. Used-To-Be" (with Loretta Lynn in 1964), and "Let's say Goodbye, Like We said Hello." Ernest Tubb and his Texas Troubadours played around 300 dates a year during that period. 



Ernest Tubb died of emphysema at Baptist Hospital in Nashville. He is buried in Nashville's Hermitage Memorial Gardens. Modern fans may know him primarily for the Ernest Tubb Record Shop in Nashville, Tennessee, which opened in May, 1947 and has been a meeting place for country music stars and fans for decades.

Ernest Tubb Record Shops founded by the legendary Ernest Tubb,  have been filing country and bluegrass music fans' needs for over 63 years. The Ernest Tubb Record Shop in Nashville is also the home of The Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree which helped launch the careers of the Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley**.

Ernest Tubb Record Shops and the second longest running radio show, the Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree is broadcast world wide every saturday night and on AM650. The second longest running radio show has never missed a performance. Now we are taping the shows at 10:00 PM for our internet audience to see the show and the audio is played back the following Saturday night at 12 Midnite. Come on out an join us for fun filled evening of great entertainment....for FREE as it always has been, as as E.T. would say, "Be Better To Your Neighbors and You'll have better neighbors....dogone ya!"    -David McCormick, Owner/CEO - Ernest Tubb Record Shops 

Read More about Ernest Tubb

Books

• Stambler, Irwin and Grelun Landon, The Encyclopedia of Folk, Country, and Western Music, St. Martin's, 1969.
• Shelton, Robert and Burt Goldblatt, The Country Music Story: A Picture History of Country and Western Music, Bobbs-Merrill, 1966, reprinted, Arlington House, 1971.
• Shestack, Melvin, The Country Music Encyclopedia, Crowell, 1974.
• The Best of Country Music, KBO Publishers, 1975.
• Malone, Bill C. and Judith McCulloh, Stars of Country Music, University of Illinois Press, 1975.
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, Harmony, 1977.
• Malone, Bill C., Country Music U.S.A., revised edition, University of Texas Press, 1985.

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