Ernest Tubb Record Shop Closes AGAIN Amid Management Change

But then hope was renewed when a group of investors that included Nashville studio musician Ilya Toshinskiy, Ernest Tubb’s grandson Ernest Dale Tubb III, and others stepped up to buy the property for  for $18.3 million in July of 2022. They promised at the time that the Ernest Tubb Record Shop would return. But after years of waiting, and rumors that the property would just become another multi-story Lower Broadway bar, folks began worrying all over again. Why it took three years to reopen a property on lucrative Lower Broadway seemed curious. All of those concerns were alleviated though after the reopening, with both patrons and the artist booked to play the location praising the new performance space and the record shop relocated to the second floor. The first floor had an electric stage in front, and a more acoustic stage i nthe back where the Midnite Jamboree shows happened previously. The new Record Shop also served food, and had a private events space. There is no confirmation of what the future might hold for the property located at 417 Broadway, who the new management is, if they will move away from the Ernest Tubb Record Shop concept and turn it into just another Lower Broadway bar, or new management will continue the historic business. Stay tuned to Saving Country Music as this story develops. – – – – – –First opened in 1947 on Commerce St. as a retail enterprise for country legend Ernest Tubb, the Ernest Tubb Record Shop moved to its more iconic location on Broadway in 1951. Frustrated at the lack of country records stocked at many retail establishments across the country, Ernest Tubb decided to open up the store right around the corner from the Ryman Auditorium where the Grand Ole Opry was held. The location also became the venue for the Midnite Jamboree—the official/unofficial afterparty of the Opry every Saturday night.– – – – – – – –

Well, I’ve only seen their social media posts, but the place was more bar than record shop. Other than the iconic sign, it was just another Broadway bar, catering to bachelorette parties.

Yeah, it was definitely not catering to bacherlorette parties, unless they were full of East Nashville thrift store hipsters. That might have been the problem. A plain Jane record shop would have done even worse. Having a bar and food was smart. Not promoting their opening or answering inquiries from the press, and putting two stages on the same floor where the sound would bleed over, those might have been unwise moves.

There’s no place for (real, traditional) country music in the tourist trap Nashville. It’s been tending this way for 20 years.

There is a place for real, traditional country on Lower Broadway. It’s called Robert’s Western World. I think the question is if Lower Broadway could sustain two of those places. We might have received our answer, but I do question how savvy the management was, why it took three years to open, and why they opened it during the slowest season.

Brick and mortar record stores are definitely a hard bargain. But vinyl sales continue to surge, and CDs also upticked in 2025 for the first time in years.

A huge problem was that when they opened they hired a booking person specifically for traditional country music and one week after the doors opened they back tracked because (after telling no one they were opening) they blamed the traditional country bands instead of their poor planning and design. Then they continued to double down on those decisions to make it more “modern” and the management would go up to the traditional country bands already booked and tell them they needed to play modern music. A lot of great bands left because of how the management was treating them and the booker left a few weeks ago because they were moving away from traditional country all together.

Thanks for the info. Once I have the opportunity to talk to folks, I’m hoping to publish a much more in-depth article about what happened here. However, I can speak first-hand on the poor management of the place. Saving Country Music was supposed to be there for the opening. Despite constant efforts at communication, following them on social media, I had no clue when the soft and grand opening were. Nobody did until the day before.

They didn’t want you there, probably. They turned up their nose to anything that would lead the place into a hub of old country fans and pickers. The only name they tolerated was “Ernest Tubb” as a means to get down to Broadway. I truly feel the Broadway thing was the only appeal they had. They smiled through the rest of the “tradition” talks.

Damn. My wife and I stopped by after the Hank Williams show at the Ryman last Saturday. Good band playing at the front of the bar.

I happened to be in Nashville for two weeks when it opened. Every time I walked past there were not many people inside.

To correct a previous post, it wasn’t just another Broadway bar catering to bachelorette parties. Unlike most bars they consistently booked country performers and I imagine would be one of the last stops for bachelorette parties.

I have not been inside since the re- opening. That acknowledged, here’s a couple thoughts. You have an investment team behind this. How many million did they put up to do this? 20-30-40 million? More? Obviously it was substantial. Thats a huge overhead to pay off. Lower Broadway real estate is off the chain crazy.
To recoup your investment, it’s gonna come down to capacity, number of people cycling in and out on a given day, and how much each person spends. The live music is there to get people to buy drinks. Loud, and uptempo music is whats needed. Puts people in the mood to party and thus buy more drinks. Pleases the bachelorettes anyway and thats the target audience to make the amount of money you need to pay off a massive investment. Food is a loss leader, it comes down to how many drinks an hour can you sell. And how much profit can you make on each drink. Thats the formula. And of course you need competent management that understands the demographic. But, what about Roberts? If JesseLees model works, why can’t it be replicated?

Answer:
Roberts survives because JesseLee got in years ago and got a honey of a deal on the building. Its long ago been paid off. His overhead is low compared to many of his competitors. The cheap drink prices are because he isn’t paying off a massive loan. ( Now with his recent acquisition of Jack’s BBQ, that might be a change and will see if his prices go up. Dont know how he funded that) But for Jesse, Robert’s has been profitable for probably a long time. Ernest Tubbs is a startup at this point.
If the target demographic is East Nashville hipsters, that’s a tough one. Zeph O Horas bar Skinny Dennis and Dee’s already serve that demographic.
The hipster crowd largely steers clear of Broadway.
Now as a comparison, I’ve been inside Hank Jrs Boogie Bar next door a few times, and its a recent startup. Drinks are a bit pricey as you might expect. Bands that play there are a mixed bag, sometimes great, sometimes clearly catering towards a Bachelorette crowd. I do see a fair amount of business going in and out though, so IMO it might survive.
Sadly, I think ETs is gonna have to adapt to what works on Broadway and that likely won’t please us hard-core Country types. Bummer.

Stopped in there for the first time last weekend and was not impressed. We only go to Robert’s when we are downtown, and that is only if we are going to the Ryman! Otherwise we avoid Broadway completely! Anyway, it is a piss poor excuse for a record store, with about 50 of the most worn out used records on one side and about 10 new ones on the other side. I got the impression the records were only there so they could call it Earnest Tubb’s Record Shop. I didn’t stay long enough to listen to the music to eat, I merely wanted to see what they did to the record shop.

Hate to say it.but maybe it’s time. And Remember it how it used to be.maybe it could carry on as a record store in another part of town.or perhaps be a gift shop in the hall of fame or something.

I went to Nashville for the 1st time a few months ago. We had PTO to spare and a small airport 20 minutes away that offers cheap flights so we decided to just go. Luckily, I had read about it here and other places and know plenty of people who have gone recently so we knew what to expect from Lower Broadway. We had a good time and wouldn’t hesitate to go back under the right circumstances. We probably spent some time in 2/3 of the places on Broadway and walked by ETRS over a dozen times without ever feeling the need to go in. It had very little appeal to someone like me who knew some history from this website and knows who Ernest Tubb is, I can’t imagine how low appeal it has to the typical person on Broadway that has no clue.

If I (

AND! hire a humorless record collector to run that part of the business – put a great big 78-rpm Victrola in the entryway. I REALIZE all the profit is made elsewhere in the business. I do. But the authenticity of the record dept. and the Victrola would give the place old-school authority. Even if the band plays My Achy-Breaky Heart all night.

Lots of twenty somethings have turntables and buy vinyl. Its more than a fad, it’s been this way for awhile. Believe it or not. Media mentioned again yesterday that vinyl sales are way up again.

Ok I accept there’s more turntables around and more vinyl sold than I had been thinking.
So – then, how come the record department at Ernest Tubb’s dwindled down to not much going on. Where does this generation of vinyl buyers buy their records? fwiw, my Sierra Ferrell LP’s were mail order from Rounder Records. But I only order in winter lest they warp in summer heat.

There are mom and pop record stores all over the country, even small towns, that do just fine serving “this generation” of record buyers. The difference is that they are not trying to service a $20mil+ debt doing it.

I think the Broadway gold mine peaked. Nothing lasts forever. Even tourists are starting to realize there is far more to Nashville than the nightmare shitshow Broadway is known for. This entire debacle and disgrace can all be chalked up to one obvious explanation. Greed. RIP

I wonder what will happen to the average folks who bought into their investment scheme they were promoting around the time of the reopening.

Probably for the best that Jamie & Bryan (the “Tusk Brothers”) are no longer going to be managing. Never Never, their first bar, was a runaway success due to timing, location and buying into a neighborhood right before it exploded. They approached Reunion in East Nashville like it’d be the same thing, and poured very little heart and dedication into it. All of the people who’ve worked there can attest to that—seeing virtually no managers day-to-day, having to deal with confused hotel guests, and not paying more than the legal server wage of $2/hour even when it’s slow season. I have to imagine they approached the Ernest Tubb Record Shop the same way, and assumed merely being on Broadway would be the linchpin of their business. But it takes more than that, especially now when it’s so oversaturated. Hopefully they can focus more on their preexisting establishments and give employees there what they deserve.

ETs had one of the best booking agents in town who got all her reps in at Roberts booking some of the best real country in town and what was said above was exactly what was going on. It’s the same as management at Chuck E Cheese looking around and asking “why are all these kids here?”

It’s Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop. The building s literally a love letter to real country music. The walls are covered with photos are art of artists that management discourages artists to play. It makes no sense.

Yes, Robert’s is partially successful because Jesse Lee has owned the building and business since before the unstoppable growth started taking place – but they also succeed because they stay in a lane and don’t budge. They’re growing and expanding. ETs is closing.

Actual country is cooler now more than ever.
We just need someone running the joint that understands that.

It didn’t survive over 70 years in the same spot for no reason. I see the Ryman, Tootsies and ET’s as the musts there. All the other bars are expendable or extras. Definitely think putting the record store upstairs may have been a mistake. Older people would be for the records and stage in the back and less likely to do stairs. Should have kept the bottom floor similar and put a primarily entertainment space upstairs. They truly better not let this place falter, history and ET’s legacy (unfortunately) depend on it. It should alway be

For anyone interested, this long Facebook post from Scott Hinds, whose band played regularly at the latest reincarnation of Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop, lays out Scott’s insider views on why the venture has failed: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14TJ7cCgFw3/

Talked to Scott Hinds earlier today. Am going to have something more in-depth about the closing soon.

That’s good that you were able to connect with him, Trigger. Will look forward to reading your next article.

I might be biased but best record shop for traditional and the best of the modern crop of country is Yard Sale Records in New Braunfels….

I went there after it reopened while visiting Johnny Cash museum. The signage sucked. You walk to the front door and it’s bands playing a bar with not much mention of ‘hey, go upstairs for records’. We almost left but saw the stairs/sign and went up. The records they did have weren’t great and it was a mix of new and old. Prices were extremely high and inventory was low. Sign said more vinyl coming soon. I was not impressed. Hopefully new management fixes it.

Source: savingcountrymusic.com