Ernest Tubb

Ernest Tubb
Singer

Ernest Dale Tubb was born on February 9, 1914, on a cotton farm near Crisp, Ellis County, Texas, United States. Tubb spent his youth working on farms across the state. Tubb's earliest immigrant ancestors came to Virginia in 1701 from Northamptonshire, England. He was inspired by Jimmie Rogers and spent his free time learning to sing, yodel and play the guitar. At age 19, he took a job as a singer at a San Antonio radio station.

In 1936, Ernest Tubb contacted Jimmie Rogers' widow to ask for an autographed photo. A friendship developed and she was instrumental in getting Tubb a recording contract with RCA. His first two records were failures. In 1939, he moved to San Angelo, Texas and was hired to do a 15-minute afternoon live show on the radio station. A tonsillectomy in 1939 affected his singing style, so he turned to songwriting.

In 1940, Tubb switched to Decca Records to try singing again, and "Walking the Floor Over You" sold over a million copies. Tubb joined the Grand Ole Opry in February 1943 and assembled his band, "the Texas Troubadours". He was a regular on the radio show for four decades and hosted his own Midnight Jamboree radio show every Saturday night after the Opry. Tubb headlined the first Grand Ole Opry show presented at Carnegie Hall in New York City in September 1947.

Tubb died on September 6, 1984 at Baptist Hospital in Nashville. He is buried at Hermitage Memorial Gardens in Nashville.

Ernest Tubb Songs

* Careless Darling (1945)

* Deep Purple Blues (1958)

* Filipino Baby (1946)

* Forever Is Ending Today (1948)

* Goodnight, Irene (with Red Foley) (1950)

* Half a Mind (1958)

* Have You Ever been Lonely (1949)

* Hey Mr Bluebird (with Wilburn Brothers) (1958)

* I Love You Because (1950)

* I'm Biting My Fingernails (1949)

* It's Been so Long, Darling (1945)

* Keep My Mem'ry in Your Heart (1945)

* Let's Say Goodbye (1949)

* Letter Have No Arms (1950)

* Missing in Action (1952)

* Rainbow at Midnight (1946)

* Seaman Blues (1948)

* Slipping Around (1949)

* Soldier's Last Letter (1944)

* Tennessee Border #2 (with Red Foley) (1950)

* Throw Your Love My Way (1950)

* Tomorrow Never Comes (1945)

* Too Old to Cut the Mustard (with Red Foley) (1952)

* Try Me One More Time (1944)

* Walking the Floor over You (1941)

* Yesterday's Tears (1944)

* Everybody's Somebody's Fool (1960)

* Next Time (1960)

More about Ernest Tubb

Ernest Tubb and Carrie Rodgers (Mrs. Jimmie Rodgers) at microphones during Jimmie Rodgers Memorial festival, Meridian, Mississippi, 1958

During Jimmie Rodgers Memorial festival at Meridian MS. street parade car staging area. Hank Snow and Ernest Tubb on back deck of a car in 1958

Ernest Tubb during DJ Convention in 1959.

Ernest Tubb makes a surprise appearance at the Riviera Hotel debut of Loretta Lynn, recalling the couple's first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on August 07, 1981.

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