Ernest Tubbs 1914-84 and Lucky Tubbs

Ernest Tubbs was born in Texas in 1914. Hs father was the manager of a cotton farm and the family moved around.  His parents divorced when he was about 12.  He stayed with his very religious Mother who loved music.  He worked on farms.   As a teenager he was influenced by Jimmie Rodgers and began to sing.   In the late 1930s, he took several jobs, such as driving trucks, to support himself while trying to get a start in the singing business.  A tonsillectomy in 1939 affected his singing style – he lost the ability to yodel - so he turned to song writing. 

His voice was twangy and often flat, and sounded “western” –the sound of a cowboy out on the trail…

However he had excellent musicians in his band, the Texas Troubadours and he joked about his singing style.  In the 1940s he returned to singing and then had a hit with the song “Walking the Floor over you”…  He had his own radio show and sang at the Opry… and had a very loyal following.

He also had the Ernest Tubbs record shop, on the Broadway in Nashville which is still there…

He married twice and had children and one of his sons, Justin became a successful song writer as well. 
Ernest’s great nephew, Lucky Tubbs is a successful country singer and has worked with Hank Williams III... he has a good voice, also.  He has a  rather  ‘twangy” western sounding voice and he has performed some of his great uncle’s hits.

In later years, Ernest’s hits dried up but he continued to perform at the Opry.   He worked hard and continued to tour, but his health was giving problems. He had developed emphysema in the 1960s and by the 70’s he had to carry oxygen around with him.  Like Jimmy Rodgers, he had to rest between shows…

He died in 1984 and is buried in Nashville….