The ongoing saga of the historic Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Lower Broadway in Nashville just hit another devastating snag. It closed again on Thursday afternoon (1-15) after opening in October.
Don’t ever give up on hope in country music, or its most storied institutions. That’s the lesson to draw from the Ernest Tubb Record Shop in downtown Nashville that recently quietly reopened its doors.
Both the current ownership group of the building, and the company the owners have partnered with to lease and manage the property, are not currently committing to saving the record shop business itself.
30 years ago today—May 1st 1993—Charley Pride took the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville as he had done many times before, but this time it was special.
The Longhorn Ballroom was one of the most important venues in country music for many years. When it opened in 1950, it was known as Bob Wills’ Ranch House, and was one of the major venues in Western Swing. It was also once operated by Jack Ruby.
Many of the venues that once established Austin, Texas as the Live Music Capital of the World have been shuttered in recent years as the city deals with rapid growth and soaring real estate prices. But if the city and others have their way, the historic dancehall The Broken Spoke will not be one of those casualties.
What we consider as the foundational sound of the Countrypolitan or Nashville Sound era was very much sung and arranged by Anita Kerr. Along with the The Jordanaires, The Anita Kerr Singers—selected and arranged by Anita Kerr—contributed most all the chorus singing that was set behind country songs.
There are many artists whose life experiences have been interwoven into their music, and resulted in the purest form of what has gone on to be recognized as “country” around the world. But few, if any—especially from the feminine perspective—had the same grace, the same truth, the same impact as songs of Loretta Lynn.
On August 11th, 1952—70 years ago today—one of the most notorious moments in country music history occurred. The original King of Country Music, and the genre’s first undisputed superstar, Hank Williams, was unceremoniously fired from the institution that he helped bring to prominence.
The iconic Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Lower Broadway in Nashville has officially been sold to a group of investors for $18.3 million, as well as the current contents of the Record Shop including the inventory and fixtures in a separate deal. The new owners include Ernest Dale Tubb III, musician Ilya Toshinskiy, and investor Brad Bars.
Congratulations, you have just stumbled upon your next favorite country band, and your next favorite country album. From Houston, TX, The Broken Spokes are a beloved local and regional traditional country outfit with a name synonymous with country due to the famous honky tonk in Austin…
The Ernest Tubb Record Shop closed on May 3rd. But over the past few days, the previous owner, David McCormick, and people close to him have been signaling that hope springs eternal, and the Ernest Tubb Record Shop will be opening its doors once again, and soon.
With so many of the artists that reach superstar status, there is a “moment” that put them there. Sometimes, it’s a number of these moments. For Loretta Lynn, that moment came through Ernest Tubb, and the Ernest Tubb Record Shop’s Midnite Jamboree.
It seemed just about perfect. In hindsight, perhaps it was a little too perfect. The owner of Robert’s Western World on Lower Broadway—JesseLee Jones—would purchase one of the oldest operating businesses in Nashville, housed in one of the oldest buildings.
We all just need to appreciate that the Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Lower Broadway in Nashville is not just a building, and it’s not just a business. It isn’t just brick and mortar, any more than the Ryman Auditorium is. It is a cultural institution and landmark.
One of country music’s critically-important performers from the Golden Era of the 50’s and 60’s, and one of the Grand Ole Opry’s most regular performers throughout the years, has passed on to that big stage in the sky. Stonewall Jackson was not a nickname.
It’s crazy how things sometimes work out, making it hard to doubt divine intervention. Marty Stuart selected the song “Skip a Rope” for his latest installment, releasing it on Tuesday, May 25th. Lo and behold, the next day we find out that the song’s writer has passed away.
The Broken Spoke honky tonk is just about the most authentic thing you can still find within the city limits of Austin, TX. And now it’s long-time owner, mascot, patron saint, and a man that has been a major booster for music in the region and the stepping stone for many major careers has passed on.
British film director Michael Apted died on Thursday, January 7th, and though this may not be a name you recognize or see as noteworthy in the country music realm on the surface, the Cambridge-educated film icon played a major part in telling one of the most compelling stories in country music history.
The owner of one of the last remaining true honky tonks on Lower Broadway in Nashville’s downtown district has purchased one of the most iconic and historical businesses that happens to sit right across the street. JesseLee Jones—owner of Robert’s Western World—has purchased the Ernest Tubb Record Shop.
Even though names like Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, and The Carter Family loom large for many of country music’s devoted fans, they don’t necessarily rise to the level of household names like Ernest Tubb, and of course the great Hank Williams, who was the centerpiece of the third installment of the Ken Burns ‘Country Music’ documentary.
One of the very last true links to the Golden Age of country music has retired to the great honky tonk in the sky. Leon Rhodes, one of the most famous and influential Texas Troubadours behind Ernest Tubb, as well as one of the mainstays of the Grand Ole Opry house band, and the backing band on the television show Hee-Haw.
Those who’ve followed the sometimes winding path of Tyler Mahan Coe know that he’s much more than one of David Allan Coe’s sons. Only fitting that podcasting would fit right into Tyler’s wheelhouse, and while everyone these days thinks they can launch a podcast, Coe has taken a unique approach with his.
One of country music’s oldest, and most important institutions is once again facing tough times as the 20-year owner of the Ernest Tubb Record Shops, David McCormick, is suffering from congestive heart failure and pneumonia, and is currently in a Nashville-area hospital. “For over forty years, David McCormick has been a tremendous friend to the […]