Many people were upset yesterday when photos showed the iconic sign from Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop being taken down from its longtime home on Lower Broadway.
This famous store in downtown Nashville closed in 2022 due to an ownership dispute that led to the business and building being sold.
At the time, the record shop released a statement expressing sadness about the sale of both the building and the business. They explained their goal had always been to protect, promote, and preserve the record shop’s great history, but changes beyond their control meant the best option now was to sell.
They mentioned being heartbroken about closing the store, which had been at this Lower Broadway location since 1951. They emphasized that preserving country music history remained their priority and they would continue to work on new projects to protect and nurture this invaluable tradition.
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Country music fans were immediately upset, and Ernest Tubb’s nephew even started a petition to save the 72-year-old shop.
Last year, the building and business were bought for $18.3 million by a group that includes Nashville real estate developer Brad Bars, musician Ilya Toshinskiy, local attorney Grover Collins, and Dale Tubb, grandson of Ernest Tubb.
In a statement, Bars confirmed that the record shop would stay open, and the building, which had housed Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop for over 51 years, would undergo major renovations.
The plan was for the bottom floor of 417 Broadway to continue housing the record store and merchandise. An upper floor would feature a honky tonk with a mezzanine. Bars mentioned it was unlikely the honky tonk would have a celebrity brand, which had been a recent trend on Broadway.
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The building’s facade would be restored to its original 1850s look, and the owners were considering adding a rooftop space.
Since then, there had not been much progress or updates on the building.
Yesterday, the iconic sign featuring photos of Loretta Lynn and Ernest Tubb was removed, causing concerns that the record shop was closing for good.
However, the record shop assured it was only temporary, and the sign was being removed to protect it during renovations.
They announced that Ernest Tubb Record Shop would stay and that renovations were underway to preserve and expand the Ernest Tubb legacy with the help of his grandson, Dale Tubb. They mentioned that the sign would be temporarily taken down for protection during renovations, but assured it would be restored to its original beauty soon in coordination with the Nashville Historic Commission. They stated that the shop would reopen for business shortly, and updates would follow.
It was not entirely clear what the new space would be.
Dale Tubb mentioned that the record shop would remain in its location, with the rest of the building being fully utilized.
The project had been leased out to Tusk Brothers Entertainment. Renderings from Clements Wimsatt Architects indicated that the first floor would become a bar with a stage and music venue, while the rest of the building would include at least two more stages and a rooftop bar.
