NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The closure of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop seemed to be the end of a 75-year story downtown. This week, NewsChannel 5 learned a new group has bought the property. That group includes the grandson of country music pioneer Ernest Tubb, Dale Tubb.
What must it be like to belong to the family of country music royalty?
"It seemed normal," said Tubb. "The older I got, the more significance I understood of it. A lot of the things [my grandfather] did, electric guitar on the Opry, promoting Patsy and Loretta, I think that needs some amplification if you will."
The 75th anniversary of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop this year came at the same time as its closure. Months later, people still stop by the building every couple of minutes, hoping to go inside. Someone who never worried about what would become of the place was Tubb.
"I don't know if I thought about it, cause I wasn't going to let that happen," he said. "I was pretty determined to do what I had to do to preserve it."
The Ernest Tubb Record Shop has just been sold to a four-person group, including real estate investors Brad Bars and Tubb.
"David McCormick was integral in this," Tubb said. "He was the longtime owner."
So what will become of this building?
"Be patient," Tubb said. "We are still trying to figure it out. Preservation of my grandfather and the business is at the forefront."
Each year, Tubb said he brings his sons to the shop to get a picture in front of the building named for their great grandfather.
While specific plans haven't been announced yet, Tubb said one thing's certain; that famous sign will stay.
"That's like the Batman building," said Tubb. "You can't get rid of that. We'll be coming forth in the future with a very exciting opportunity for everybody to enjoy and continue that name and country music legacy."
