The sign outside Ernest Tubb Record Shop
In November, storied Lower Broadway site Ernest Tubb Record Shop reopened its doors following a lengthy dormant period. The building — whose extensive renovation yielded a main-floor honky-tonk, a record store in the spirit of the original, a private event venue, a rooftop bar and a basement lounge — is now closed to the public once again as the management team changes.
Saving Country Music reported Thursday night that musician Jay Bragg, whose Lower Broad gigs included bookings at Ernest Tubb, shared a text message he received reading: “Hi, this is the Ernest Tubb Record Shop. ETRS is undergoing a switch in management groups, and during this transition we will be closed effective today. We are sorry for the last minute notice. At this time [we] don’t have any further information. We appreciate your contributions to Tubb’s very much.” The post goes on to note that Bragg stopped by the venue to find it closed and locked.
Revived Lower Broadway landmark to celebrate grand reopening
Tusk Brothers — brothers Bryan and Jamie Kenney, whose other local businesses include Wedgewood-Houston’s Never Never and East Nashville’s Reunion Bar & Hotel — had taken on management of the revamped Ernest Tubb. A post attributed to the brothers, in which they confirm the news, appeared on Instagram Friday morning.
“It has been a labor of love to rekindle the legacy of Ernest Tubb Record Shop over the last few years,” the post reads. “We’re proud to have been a partner in its restoration and reopening. In the interest of doing what is best for the business, we are stepping down from its day-to-day management. This means a temporary closure to make way for new management.
“We’re very grateful for the employees who have worked with us and the guests we’ve gotten to know along the way. We look forward to the long-term success of the business.”
The original store opened in downtown Nashville in 1947 and moved to Broadway in 1951. The beloved Midnite Jamboree radio show broadcast from the store until it moved to a spot in the Opry House-adjacent Music Valley area in the 1970s. After the building changed hands a couple of times, the Broadway location closed in 2022 in order for the renovation to take place.
