Ernest Tubb

Ernest Tubb was born in Crisp, Texas, in 1914 and died in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1984. His life was filled with family, friends, music and fans. He learned what a hard days work meant and how to make an honest living.

Tubb's father was a sharecropper and Tubb was born on a cotton farm and was eventually a worker in the fields. Every spare moment that Tubb got, he spent learning to sing, yodel, and play his guitar. This is where he got his excellent work ethic and realized that if you really want something, you need to work at it. At the age of 19, Tubb got a job as a singer on a radio station, but the pay was very low. To make up his income, he also worked as a ditch digger and he clerked in a drug store.

In 1939, Tubb had a tonsillectomy which affected the singing style of his voice. His singing was something that he always made fun of, but now it was really bad. Instead, Tubb turned to songwriting for a change. In 1940, after taking the year to recover, Tubb decided to try his hand at singing again. Decca records signed him and after his 6th release, he finally found his stardom. In 1943, Tubb joined the Grand Ole Opry and became a regular performer there. Things were never the same after that. All through his career and his life, Tubb had a loyal fan base that stayed with him.