ERNEST TUBB-BLUEBONNET LANE


The incomparable Ernest Tubb ("E.T." to all who knew him) became a legend as much for what he waspersonally as for the half-century career that stretched from his first radio date in 1932 to his death in 1984. Though other singers with better voices and more raw musical talent have come and gone, none has inspired greater love from fans over six decades. Along with such performers as Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, and George Jones, Tubb is country music personified. He was among the first of the honky tonk singers and the first to achieve national recognition. His first recording was "The Passing of Jimmie Rodgers," a tribute to his hero. His longassociation with Decca began with "Blue Eyed Elaine" in 1940. Three years later his self-penned "Walkin' the Floor Over You," a country classic, was a hit, leading to the Opry, movie roles, and stardom. In 1947 he opened his Nashville record store and began the Midnight Jamboree, which followed theOpry on WSM and advertised the shop while showcasing stars and those on the rise. By that time, he had become one of the most recognizable musical stars in the world, bringing country music to the widest audience it had ever seen. Over the years, Tubb toured widely with his Texas Troubadors, pressing the flesh with fans after shows that featured his many hits, including "Slippin' Around," "Two Glasses Joe," "Tomorrow Never Comes," "Drivin' Nails in My Coffin," "Rainbow at Midnight," "Let's Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello," and "Driftwood on the River." In 1975, after 35 years with Decca/MCA, he was let go, the allegiance of company executives not matching that of his multitude of fans. Because of a lung disease Tubb had to rest in pain on a cot between takes, ending his career just as his hero, Rodgers, had 50 years earlier. Quoting one of his album titles, Tubb left a legend and a legacy.


The youngest of five children, Tubb was born in Ellis County, TX, but his farming parents moved across the state to Benjamin when he was six years old. By the time he was in his pre-adolescence, his parents had divorced, and he spent his teens traveling between his two parents, working odd jobs. Early in his adolescence, Tubb was attracted to the music of Rodgers. By his late teens, Tubb had picked up the guitar on the advice of a friend and fellow guitarist named Merwyn Buffington. Following Rodgers' death in May of 1933, Tubb decided that he wanted to pursue a musical career and emulatehis idol. He moved to San Antonio, where he again hooked up with Buffington, who was currently playing with the Castleman Brothers on a local radio station. The guitarist convinced his employers to let Tubb sing as a guest vocalist, and soon Ernest had his own regular early-morning show.


At thispoint in his career, Tubb sounded very similar to Rodgers and was still obsessed with his idol. Eventually, he tracked down and met Rodgers' widow, Carrie, and she was quite taken with Tubb, loaning him one of Jimmie's guitars and convincing RCA to sign the young singer. The first singles he recorded were quite similar to Rodgers (including two tributes to the Singing Brakeman), but the records failed to sell and he was quickly dropped from the label. Ernest continued to plow ahead, playing a variety of small clubs and radio stations, without gaining much attention. A major point in Tubb's musical development was the removal of his tonsils in 1939. With his tonsils gone, he could no longer yodel, which meant he developed his own distinctively twangy, nasal singing style. Decca Records agreed to record him in April of 1940, and one of the resulting singles, "Blue Eyed Elaine," became a minor hit. Decca agreed to sign him to a longer contract by the end of the year, by which time he had also had a regular radio show on a Fort Worth station, KGKO, sponsored by the flour company Gold Chain.

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Channel: Music
Uploaded: June 22, 2008 at 6:43 am
Author: oldcountrytunes

Length: 00:01:55
Rating: 4.88
Views: 422

Tags: Ernest music country Tubb

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Video Comments:
oldcountrytunes (June 24, 2008 at 5:59 am)
Thanks Geena. I hate the format that YT has rammed down our throat now. The old way was better because you could listen to the song as you were answering comments. This way, the song is silent.
geena6 (June 24, 2008 at 5:41 am)
Great oldie Marc- love it, the little crackles&all. Thankyou.
oldcountrytunes (June 22, 2008 at 9:38 pm)
Thanks for the comment and stars.
rtutt123 (June 22, 2008 at 8:15 pm)
Another good one, Marc....thank you...keep them coming, my friend...5*****....RT
oldcountrytunes (June 22, 2008 at 5:18 pm)
Thanks Gaby, I'd rather have the kisses than the stars, any day!!! LOL!!!
oldcountrytunes (June 22, 2008 at 5:18 pm)
Bus, you're here. Was concerned about you, friend but now I know you are OK. Yeah, I got a version of it with Jim&Jesse but it may not be the same as yours. Do you want me to post it?
oldcountrytunes (June 22, 2008 at 5:13 pm)
Thanks Shirley. The stars are always nice but the time it takes to comment is what I appreciate because I KNOW about that!! LOL!!
oldcountrytunes (June 22, 2008 at 5:11 pm)
Yeah, ole Bus will set us BOTH straight because I can't remember any. Worried about ole Bus, he hasn't been in lately. He's like a fly on sugar with ET stuff.
pili2255 (June 22, 2008 at 4:05 pm)
A kisses for your video!!! Beautiful music!!!
Gaby.
BusReilly (June 22, 2008 at 3:38 pm)
I have a great version of this song by Jim&Jesse and the Virginia Boys, from the 1960s.

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