Born Ernest Dale Tubb
Called the Texas Troubadour
Born Feb. 9, 1914
in Crisp, Texas, U.S.
The youngest of five children, Tubb was born on a cotton farm near Crisp, in Ellis County, Texas. His father was a sharecropper, so Tubb spent his youth working on farms throughout the state.
He was inspired by Jimmie Rodgers and spent his spare time learning to sing, yodel, and play guitar. At age 19, young Tubb took a job as a singer on San Antonio radio station KONO-AM. The pay was low during these Depression years, so Tubb also dug ditches for the Works Progress Administration and then clerked at a drug store.
In 1939, he moved to San Angelo, Tex., and was hired to do a 15-minute afternoon live show on radio station KGKL-AM. He drove a beer delivery truck to support himself during this time.
In 1936, Tubb contacted Jimmie Rodgers' widow (Rodgers died in 1933) to ask for an autographed photo. A friendship developed and she was instrumental in getting Tubb a recording contract with RCA. His first two records were unsuccessful. A tonsillectomy in 1939 affected his singing style, so he turned to songwriting. In 1940, he switched to Decca Records to try singing again, and his sixth Decca release with the single "Walking the Floor Over You" brought Tubb to stardom. It sold over one million copies.
Called the Texas Troubadour
Born Feb. 9, 1914
in Crisp, Texas, U.S.
The youngest of five children, Tubb was born on a cotton farm near Crisp, in Ellis County, Texas. His father was a sharecropper, so Tubb spent his youth working on farms throughout the state.
He was inspired by Jimmie Rodgers and spent his spare time learning to sing, yodel, and play guitar. At age 19, young Tubb took a job as a singer on San Antonio radio station KONO-AM. The pay was low during these Depression years, so Tubb also dug ditches for the Works Progress Administration and then clerked at a drug store.
In 1939, he moved to San Angelo, Tex., and was hired to do a 15-minute afternoon live show on radio station KGKL-AM. He drove a beer delivery truck to support himself during this time.
In 1936, Tubb contacted Jimmie Rodgers' widow (Rodgers died in 1933) to ask for an autographed photo. A friendship developed and she was instrumental in getting Tubb a recording contract with RCA. His first two records were unsuccessful. A tonsillectomy in 1939 affected his singing style, so he turned to songwriting. In 1940, he switched to Decca Records to try singing again, and his sixth Decca release with the single "Walking the Floor Over You" brought Tubb to stardom. It sold over one million copies.
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