Downtown Nashville gem, the Ernest Tubb Record Shop, will close this spring. According to a statement from Honky Tonk Circus, ETRS, and David McCormick Company, both the building and the business will be sold.
“Our goal has always been to protect, promote and preserve the great history of the record shop and building,” the entities write in a joint statement. “That desire remains as strong today as ever. However, due to changes in circumstances out of our control, it’s now clear the best way forward is to sell the business and the real estate.”
The Ernest Tubb Record Shop has existed in its current location on lower Broadway since 1951, after country star Ernest Tubb originally opened the shop on Commerce Street in 1947. Since its inception, not only has the Ernest Tubb Record Shop served as a music shop for Nashville natives and tourists, it has also been a performance spot for numerous special performances. The store was the site of The Midnight Jamboree, where country stars would perform immediately after their Grand Ole Opry show.
The statement regarding its sale continues, “Preserving the history and tradition of country music remains at the forefront of everything we do. We remain committed to preservation work and look forward to new projects that will allow us to continue to protect and nurture the invaluable history and tradition of country music.”