Nashville’s Historic Ernest Tubb Record Shop To Reopen Their Doors On Broadway Later This Fall

Broadway is getting back to its roots.

Since Nashville has become a bachelorette hotspot, Broadway has transformed into a mecca of booming bars owned by the hottest names in country music. From Miranda Lambert and Kid Rock to Eric Church and Lainey Wilson, a pivotal moment in the idea of “making it” as an artist these days is having an establishment with your name slapped on it.

However, with the rise in artist-owned establishments, that meant that the tried and true honky tonk stages struggled to operate against them, leading some of the best businesses on the strip of bars to close. One of those was the historic Ernest Tubb Record Shop. The record store and venue first opened in 1947 and showcased some of the greatest country music talents over its 75-year operation.

From Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and The Texas Troubadour himself, Ernest Tubb, the record store welcomed many artists to come in and perform. Given that many of these artists were in the early days of their careers, The Ernest Tubb Record Shop defined itself as a place where artists came to find their sound.

However, all good things must come to an end, and the establishment closed its doors in May 2023, shortly after the 75th anniversary of the record store and venue. It was expected that a bar would be taking its place, however, the closure was short-lived, as the store announced in 2024 that it was undergoing renovations, promising fans and lovers of the space that they would reopen their doors one day.

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That day is finally on the horizon as the shop unveiled a restored version of the legendary sign out front and announced that they will be open for business in the fall.

The website shares the following:

“A small group of local musicians Are swingin’ the doors back open to preserve the legacy of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and keep E.T.’s song alive. It’s all about the records, live music, and the Nashville roots that make this landmark sing—just like it always has. So saddle up and get ready to ride into the next chapter of country music history, right here in the place where it all began.”

The Tusk Brothers, who are the faces behind many other great Nashville bars and restaurants, are heading the project and have launched a special fund for artists and other creatives to have a small stake in the historic reopening. The Nashville Music Collective is a unique program that allows artists, musicians, and community members to invest a small amount in the space and collectively own a piece of the record shop.

“We’ve been entrusted with such an important piece of Nashville history, and feel that we’ve become stewards of Ernest Tubb’s story and legacy. Through the Nashville Music Collective, our intent was to carve a path for members of the community to claim a little piece of it as their own – whether they feel a special kinship with the shop, or simply want to be a part of its ongoing story.”

Jamie Kenney, co-founder and Operator of Tusk Brothers, said, as reported by Visit Music City. Bryan Kenney, co-founder, added:

“We’ve always felt like this project was bigger than us. It’s our opinion that Ernest Tubb Record Shop belongs to Nashville, belongs to the Tubb family, and belongs to a nation of country music fans and visitors who came through the space for more than 75 years. We felt this was our chance to help keep it that way. That’s why we wanted to work alongside Dale Tubb and the Tubb family, and that’s why we started the Nashville Music Collective — to ensure we honor the legacy of Ernest Tubb and the impact that the record shop has had on Nashville.

We come from a long line of musicians, and we both share a love of history, so the opportunity to play a part in ushering Ernest Tubb Record Shop into its next phase felt too good to be true.”

The Ernest Tubb Record Shop is set to be rocking and rolling in the fall of 2025. Nashville is getting back to its roots, and as a native Nashvillian, I couldn’t be happier to see this legendary space returning to the heart of Broadway.

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