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Trending on Billboard
When Hurricane Melissa made history as the strongest storm ever to make landfall in Jamaica, the island nation’s biggest stars immediately sprang into action to help provide relief to their home’s most devastated areas. Now, led by Sean Paul, Shaggy and Kes, several of the Caribbean’s brightest stars have teamed up for a massive benefit concert to further support relief efforts.
Announced Wednesday (Nov. 12), the Jamaica Strong benefit concert will take place Dec. 12 at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York. At press time, additional confirmed performers include Chronic Law, T.O.K, Tessane Chin, Aidonia, Inner Circle, Ky-Mani Marley, Teejay, Richie Stephens, Gramps Morgan, and Mikey Spice, with more artists yet to be announced. Pre-sale begins on Thursday (Nov. 13) at 10 a.m. E.T., while general on-sale kicks off on Friday (Nov. 14).
“This is more than a concert — it’s a movement,” Jammins Events organizer George Crooks said in a statement.
With a death toll of over 75 across the Caribbean, Hurricane Melissa significantly impacted the region, particularly Jamaica, Cuba and parts of Haiti. Jamaican superstars like Shenseea, Beenie Man, Sean Paul and Spice have all documented their respective relief efforts via their social media channels.
Earlier this month, Shaggy spoke with Billboard about the destruction he witnessed in the days immediately following Melissa’s landfall. “We got [to Jamaica] early enough to reach the people, because it took me around six hours to get from Kingston to St. Elizabeth in Black River, which is normally a two-and-a-half-hour drive at most,” the reggae icon said. “We had to chop [tree] limbs down, move things out the way, and drive through high puddles of [runoff], so we got there in the middle of the night. At that point, all we could do was pass water out, so we had to regroup and drive six hours back to Kingston. The next day, we went to the Junction side of St. Elizabeth, which took us four hours. The square itself was shut down. It was ground zero because it wasn’t livable anymore. Nobody could stay there.”
UBS Arena is a worthy venue for the benefit concert, given its connection to New York’s Caribbean diaspora. This spring, Billboard reported that, in under a year, New York’s UBS Arena hosted five $1 million-grossing Caribbean-headlined shows across four different genres. From Buju Banton and Carimi to Machel Montano and Beres Hammond, the rhythms of reggae, dancehall, konpa, and soca ricocheted across the arena in 2025.
As Jamaica continues to rebuild, its people can find a moment of solace in the 2026 Grammy nominations. At the upcoming ceremony, all five nominees for best reggae album — Vybz Kartel, Lila Iké, Mortimer, Jesse Royal and Keznamdi — hail from Jamrock.
Check out the official Jamaica Strong benefit concert announcement below.
Trending on Billboard Shakira is set to return as pop star Gazelle for Disney’s Zootopia 2, and the colorful music video for “Zoo,” her original song in the film, premiered on Wednesday (Nov. 12). In the three-minute clip, the Colombian hitmaker channels her character appearing in multiple Gazelle-inspired looks, and she shares a number of […]
Source: @maxb140 / Instagram
Max B and French Montana had plenty of reason to celebrate this week.
The “Coke Wave” artists slid through the town in SoHo this past Sunday for dinner at Ayah Restaurant to celebrate both French’s 41st birthday and Max coming home after spending 16 years in prison. TMZ caught the pair with French’s fiancée, Princess Sheikha Mahra of Dubai, as they walked into the upscale restaurant, where they were joined by London rapper Central Cee.
Witnesses say the dinner was a dope celebration, with laughter, hugs, and all-around good vibes. As we know, Max B was arrested in 2007 for his role in orchestrating an armed robbery gone wrong, leading to a man’s death. He was initially sentenced to 75 years, but after his conviction was overturned, he struck a deal to serve a shorter sentence after pleading to aggravated manslaughter.
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After serving more than a decade behind bars, Max B and French were ready to celebrate…but also ready to get back to work. On Monday, French posted a video of him and Max in the lab, teasing that another joint project is on the way..
“WORKING ON THE GDAY COKE WAVE 3 LOADING”
The project would mark Max B’s first in 4 years. His last album, “Negro Spirituals“, was released in 2021, while he was still incarcerated. Also on Monday, Max took to his X account to announce a 7-date club appearance tour along the East Coast.
Max also wasted no time putting a ring on his lady, Ms.B’s finger. Gotta love it.
One thing is clear: The wave is definitely back.
1. The city came out to welcome Max B home
2. Max B’s drip
3. New chain alert
4. Max B proposes to his ol lady
5. French Montana pulls up
6. The beanie God
8. Life’s good
9. Let the Wave God be great
Trending on Billboard
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
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This week: Gordon Lightfoot’s signature story song sees massive gains due to an anniversary of its titular tragedy, HAVEN. inspires odd trends and strange questions with a mysterious dance smash, Lily Allen grows buzz for her comeback album and more.
The Legend of ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ Lives On With 50th Anniversary Spike
Even among recent unlikely bringback streaming hits, few could’ve seen this one coming. “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” the sweeping and highly dramatic story song first captained by the late great Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot in 1976 — about a real-life 1975 tragedy at sea that struck the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, with all 29 on board dying — has found a second life among TikTok audiences.
The song had gone viral in recent weeks, with videos and merch and even Chicago bar nights celebrating the song and the ship that inspired it, in commemoration of the wreck’s then-upcoming 50th anniversary (ultimately observed on Nov. 10, 2025). According to Luminate (and Billboard’s own reporting), the song had begun to rise in streams solidly in advance of that anniversary, with “Wreck” racking up 1.4 million official on-demand U.S. streams for the tracking week ending Nov. 6 — up a strong 77% from the prior week.
And then, of course, on the actual date of the anniversary, it exploded: “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” amassed over one million streams on Monday (Nov. 10) alone — while also selling over 1400 digital songs — up a whopping 436% and 930%, respectively, from its numbers the previous Monday (Nov. 3), according to early data provided by Luminate. It was enough to get “Wreck” onto the top 100 of the Spotify Daily Top Songs USA chart — and towards the top of the iTunes real-time chart, where it remains in the top five two days later. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Enigmatic Artist HAVEN. ‘Run’s Into Streaming Breakthrough
Thanks to a viral trend likening the nondescript dance-pop of department store playlists to that of ski resorts and clubs, HAVEN. — an enigmatic artist with minimal musical footprint — has scored a streaming smash.
“I Run” earned over 290,000 official on-demand U.S. streams during the four-day period of Oct. 31-Nov. 3. During the comparable four-day period the following week (Nov. 7-10), the viral EDM track exploded over 1,106% to 3.5 million streams, according to early data provided by Luminate.
Though the song has quickly overtaken TikTok, opinions have been split on its quality. To date, the official “I Run” TikTok sound plays in over 25,000 posts. Last month (Oct. 21), Jorja Smith denied the narrative that the song’s vocal was sourced from an old demo of hers, leading some users to question if AI was used in the creation of “I Run.” At press time, “I Run” is unavailable on Spotify, but remains playable on Apple Music and TIDAL; the track appears to have been pulled from streaming due to possible rights issues.
On Wednesday (Nov. 12), Andre Benz, the CEO of Broke Records, the label through which HAVEN. released “I Run,” shared an image to his Instagram Story that read “All my homies hate Sony.” Billboard has reached out to Benz, Sony Music Publishing and SoundOn for comment. — KYLE DENIS
Lily Allen Word-of-Mouths Her Way Into Top ‘End’ of Billboard 200
Veteran U.K. pop star Lily Allen hadn’t released an album since 2018’s tepidly received No Shame, which debuted at No. 168 on the Billboard 200 and No. 8 on the UK Official Albums Chart, becoming her first album to miss the top 100 and top two on the respective listings. Now, she’s back in both chart regions thanks to the slowly building embrace of her late-October-released new LP, the explosive concept album West End Girl.
While West End Girl arrived with little fanfare, having only been announced by Allen four days prior, the minor detonation it sparked slowly grew over the course of last week, largely thanks to its subject matter: her recent separation from Stranger Things actor David Harbour, which the album details in often uncomfortable (if still quite catchy) detail. As the album captured headlines for its tabloid-y narrative, it also won over critics with its accessible melodies, biting lyrics and strong structuring, becoming a new favorite of pop fans who didn’t realize how much they’d missed Allen in her absence.
As a result, the album grew steadily in official on-demand U.S. streams over the course of its debut week, ultimately racking up 11.5 million for the tracking week ending Oct. 30 — helping to propel it to a No. 118 debut on the Billboard 200 (and a No. 4 bow on the UK Official Albums Chart). By the next week (ending Nov. 6), that stream count was up 17% week-over-week, pushing it to No. 93 on the Billboard 200, as it also climbed to No. 2 on its home country’s chart. – AU
‘Wicked: For Good’ Anticipation & Live Special Boost Streams for Film Soundtrack & A Judy Garland Classic
Wicked: For Good doesn’t hit theatres for another week and a half (Nov. 21), but the highly anticipated sequel to last year’s Oscar-winning, box office-topping musical epic is already boosting related songs on streaming.
During the period of Oct. 31-Nov. 3, the 2024 Wicked motion picture soundtrack, led by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, earned 4.3 million official on-demand U.S. streams, according to early data provided by Luminate. By the comparable four-day period the next week (Nov. 7-10), the soundtrack spiked 55% to over 6.7 million official streams. Last year, the soundtrack reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and last week (Nov. 7), the compilation (and score soundtrack) earned three combined Grammy nominations, including best pop duo/group performance for Erivo and Grande’s rendition of “Defying Gravity.”
The two Oscar-nominated witches also led the cast in a Nov. 7 special titled Wicked: One Wonderful Night. Featuring appearances from the principal Wicked film cast, viral fans and Broadway OGs Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the Peacock special also churned out an accompanying live album. Billed to Grande and Erivo, the live album racked up over 4.3 million streams during the period of Nov. 7-10.
To close the special, Erivo and Grande recreated Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland’s iconic 1963 duet of “Get Happy / Happy Day Are Here Again.” In the four-day period preceding the special (Oct. 31-Nov. 3), Garland’s version of “Get Happy” earned just over 10,000 official streams. In the four-day period after the special aired (Nov. 7-10), “Get Happy” logged 33,000 official streams, marking a 214% boost.
The Wicked: For Good soundtrack, which features a pair of new original songs penned by three-time Oscar-winning composer Stephen Schwartz (“The Girl in the Bubble” and “No Place Like Home”), arrives on Nov. 21. — KD
Apple / iPhone Air
Apple tried something different with the iPhone Air, and according to reports, the company’s latest smartphone flopped.
Spotted on MacRumors, via The Information, the ultra-thin and very light iPhone Air sold poorly. It did so badly that Apple is delaying the next version of the iPhone Air that was supposed to be announced alongside the iPhone 18.
The website notes there have been numerous reports of poor sales and cuts in manufacturing.
Per MacRumors:
Apple’s supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has reportedly dismantled all but one and a half of its production lines for the iPhone Air, and all production is expected to be stopped at the end of the month. Luxshare, another supplier, stopped production at the end of October.
The company Steve Jobs built was counting on the iPhone Air’s unique design to spark excitement among Apple smartphone enthusiasts.
It appears to have accomplished the exact opposite, and that could be due to many design choices.
Due to its very slim design, many compromises had to be made, such as a smaller battery and a single rear camera. Yet the smartphone still had a hefty $999 price tag, which was definitely a turnoff for Apple smartphone users.
It seems like Apple fans felt it didn’t make sense to buy the iPhone Air when they could get the iPhone 17 Pro for $1,099, which offers a better triple-camera system and longer battery life.
The iPhone Air Is Looking Like Another Flop For Apple
It’s looking like the iPhone Air will sit right next to the iPhone Mini, Apple’s other attempt at selling a fourth model alongside the iPhone and iPhone Pro models, as an apparent failure.
According to MacRumors, Apple is still pushing to drop its first foldable smartphone alongside the iPhone 18 and iPhone Pro 18 in 2026.
We will be interested to see how well the foldable sells for Apple.
You can see reactions about the iPhone Air reportedly flopping below.
Trending on Billboard
KATSEYE is learning that some parts of fame can be really gnarly — and not in a good way.
In a conversation with BBC News posted Wednesday (Nov. 12), the girl group opened up about the high volume of hate — and sometimes death threats — they’ve received since debuting in 2024. “I think as time goes on and on, the stakes just get higher and higher, and the pressure from 360 all sides becomes more heavy and intense,” said member Lara Raj. “I’m like, ‘It doesn’t matter, and what people say doesn’t matter,’ but we’re humans.”
“And if 1,000 people are, like, sending you death threats, it’s jarring,” Lara continued. “Even if it’s not gonna happen, and it doesn’t mean anything, it’s heavy, and it’s jarring.”
When interviewer Mark Savage responded with surprise that the ladies had already faced such intense negativity so early on in their careers, member Sophia Laforteza confirmed that even their families and friends have had to put up with online hate and attacks. “We’ve gotten a lot of things already said to us, about us, to our families,” she said.
“It’s something that we know we signed up for, being so public and just being out there for people to … they know so much about [us], and it’s a part of our job,” Sophia added as bandmates Daniela, Manon, Megan and Yoonchae nodded. “We know it’s a part of fame. But it doesn’t change the fact that we are human.”
Fortunately, the group members agreed that it’s nice to have each other to lean on when things get tough, as they all already know everyone in the band knows how it feels.
The interview comes as KATSEYE’s fame is exploding in 2025, with the sextet recently nabbing a best new artist Grammy nomination ahead of next year’s awards. In an interview with Billboard about the honors, Megan said, “With any award or nomination, it means so much to us because we work so, so hard … So, it’s like all of the hard work, those long hours and all the dedication are really paying off.”
The nomination comes less than two years after KATSEYE released its debut single, “Debut,” in 2024 after forming the year prior on the competition series Dream Academy. The band scored its first-ever Billboard Hot 100 hit in May when “Gnarly” made its entrance on the chart, and this fall, the ladies reached the top 40 with “Gabriela,” which also scored a Grammy nod for best pop duo/group performance.
Watch KATSEYE’s full sit-down with BBC News above.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The final season of Stranger Things premieres on Netflix on November 26 and the hit sci-fi series is teaming up with a number of fashion and lifestyle brands to mark the occasion.
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GAP just unveiled a retro-themed Stranger Things collection with 80s-inspired denim, T-shirts and sweats, while footwear brand Aldo debuted a collection of whimsical Stranger Things shoes and bags earlier this fall. But perhaps the buzziest release was the latest collaboration between Nike and Netflix, with the Stranger Things x Nike Dunk Low sneaker, which dropped November 6.
The sneakers, which retailed for $155, quickly sold out on the Nike site and they are only available now on resale sites like Stockx, as of this writing.
Nike Dunk Low x “Stranger Things”
The distressed navy and white sneakers are the latest release in the Nike x Stranger Things collab, which was first introduced in 2019, and included footwear and apparel inspired by the show (previous models in the collaboration are also available starting from $115 on StockX.com).
Though the Stranger Things Dunk Low is no longer available on the Nike site, fans can still pick up a couple of new pieces in stock from the collaboration. One of them is this Caitlin Clark Indiana Fever jersey, re-worked with a Stranger Things-inspired twist.
Caitlin Clark Indiana Fever x ‘Stranger Things’ 2025 Rebel Edition
The Fever’s normal red, gold and blue jersey is re-imagined in the red, white and black colorway of the new Stranger Things season, and nods to the show run throughout the piece, from claw marks from the demogorgons in the Upside Down, to 80s-style red splatter paint detailing. The Caitlin Clark Stranger Things jersey is available in sizes XS to XXL.
Another official piece in the Nike x Stranger Things collection is this unisex crewneck sweatshirt, which features a slightly oversized fit and a cozy brushed fleece construction. The navy sweatshirt features the phrase “Friends Don’t Lie,” one of Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) most iconic lines from the show. The caption “All Strangers Welcome” sits below the main graphic.
Nike x ‘Stranger Things’ Fleece Crew
The back of the unisex sweatshirt features large Nike lettering running from shoulder to shoulder.
Looking for more Stranger Things-inspired pieces from Nike? We like this New York Knicks “Halloween” T-shirt, which applies the same eerie vibe of Stranger Things to the Knicks basketball logo. Though it’s branded as a “Halloween” tee, this is a shirt you can really wear year-round. The lived-in look and feel, and relaxed fit, adds to the vintage appeal.
Nike Knicks Halloween NBA Max90 T-Shirt
This unisex tee is available in sizes small to 3XL. Nike also sells a similar T-shirt style for the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors.
And you can keep the 80s vibes going with this vintage-inspired Jordan Brooklyn tee, which features a stylized graphic of Michael Jordan slam dunking a basketball, along with the year 1985 etched in bright orange letters, marking the year the NBA star broke into the league.
Jordan Brooklyn Oversized Graphic T-Shirt
$45
Buy Now AT NIKE
The front of the T-shirt features the same Jordan and net and backboard graphic, along with an orange Air Jordan logo. Pick this up in sizes XS to 3XL.
The final season of Stranger Things premieres with the first four episodes out on November 26, followed by three episodes on Christmas Day.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
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Have you ever wanted your Christmas tree to reflect your music taste? If so, you’re in luck.
ShopBillboard is getting into the holiday spirit by sharing our favorite musician-themed ornaments so your tree can finally reflect some of the greats on your playlist, from Taylor Swift and BTS to Elvis Presley and Freddy Mercury. Each ornament chosen is extremely expressive and detailed, depicting its respective artists in colorful hues, sometimes with glittering accents.
Kurt Adler Grateful Dead™ Glass 60th Anniversary Ornament
$30.20
$32.40
7% off
A Grateful Dead-themed glass ornament
If you’re looking to decorate your tree with a little music flair, this Grateful Dead glass ornament is for you. The piece features the iconic skull and rose imagery accompanied by glittering accents and vibrant hues of blue, red and silver. This ornament was released for the band’s 60th anniversary in August, and makes a great keepsake for the Grateful Dead fan in your life.
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Elvis Presley Blow Mold Christmas Ornament – White Suit with Red Cape Holiday Decoration
$8.28
$8.87
7% off
An Elvis-themed ornament.
The King just got a whole lot cooler with this new decor. Clad in his iconic white bedazzled jumpsuit, this Elvis Presley ornament is the spitting image of the “Burning Love” singer down to his bright red cape and coiffed hair.
Zilker Home Taylor Swift Era-Music Tour Christmas Ornament
A Taylor Swift-themed ornament.
Ready to get into your Christmas Era? This Taylor Swift-themed ornament will surely get you on your way. Retailing for $13.99, this ornament is made of durable ceramic that can withstand drops and comes affixed with a motif of Swift in a Santa costume on the front, strumming a guitar with the phrase “In my Christmas Era” on the front. A gold string is looped through a hole on the top of the ornament, making it easy to hang.
Kat + Annie Ornaments The Beatles Drum, Silver and White
A The Beatles ornament.
The Beatles were very serious about Christmas, so much so that they released their very own holiday album in 1970, aptly titled The Beatles Christmas Album. If you want to get into the spirit, throw on that album and hang this Kat + Annie The Beatles Ornament on your tree. Retailing for $26.95, this ornament is made of glass and comes with a hook to attach to the tree. The front is equipped with black and white motifs of members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, along with their signatures. The back and front read “The Beatles.”
David Bowie Ziggy Stardust Christmas Tree Ornament Merchandise Decor
A David Bowie ornament.
David Bowie was another musician who was pretty active during the holidays. As far as Christmas is concerned, the star once collaborated with Bing Crosby on a track titled “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” in 1977. The song features Crosby singing the 1941 standard “The Little Drummer Boy” while Bowie sings the counterpoint tune “Peace on Earth.” In any case, this ornament of Bowie is a keeper, depicting the ever-popular Ziggy stardust, Bowie’s alter-ego, in the center of a metal snowflake-shaped motif. This is one of the more intricate entries on our list, and one that we’re sure would look great alongside your more traditional ornaments.
Cody Foster 4.75 In George Michael Christmas Tree Ornament, Christmas Music Wham 80’S
A George Michael ornament.
You can’t possibly celebrate the holidays without hearing George Michael’s sweet voice. Alongside Wham!, Michael produced some of the most iconic Christmas tracks to date like “Last Christmas,” which was released in 1984. With his contribution to the holidays, or at least your holiday playlist, in mind, we’ve included a George Michael ornament from Target retailing for $29. The ornament depicts Michael in glittering glory with a gold string attached to his head.
BTS Christmas Tree Ornament | K-Pop Holiday Decor
A tree-shaped ornament with the members of BTS on it.
We’ve always thought that Christmas was heavily lacking in K-Pop. Thus, we’ve included this cute BTS ornament from Etsy, retailing for $12.99. This ornament is shaped like a Christmas tree and comes in purple. The shape of the tree is created with each member’s name stacked on top of one another, all adorned with a star at the tippy top.
Cody Foster 4.75 In Freddie Mercury Christmas Tree Ornament
A Freddie Mercury ornament.
If you can believe it, Queen has a song called “Thank God It’s Christmas.” It was a B-side of the single “A Winter’s Tale” from the 1995 album Made in Heaven. While he doesn’t scream Christmas spirit, this Freddie Mercury ornament for $30 was too good not to include in this list. Like our George Michael pick, this ornament is a glittering bust of Mercury with a crown sat atop his head, along with a string to attach the ornament to your tree.
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Three years after the legendary Ernest Tubb Record Shop closed in 2022, the iconic establishment is gearing up to celebrate its official reopening during a celebration set for Nov. 13.
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The late Country Music Hall of Fame member Tubb, known for hits including “Walking The Floor Over You,” “Soldier’s Last Letter,” and “Waltz Across Texas,” first opened the Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Nashville’s Commerce Street in May 1947. Since 1951, the Ernest Tubb Record Shop has been in its current location at 417 Broadway in downtown Nashville.
While the shop sold vinyl records and music songbooks, it also became a heralded performance spot due to Tubb’s Midnite Jamboree, where artists who were performing on Saturday nights at the Grand Ole Opry (then centered at the Ryman Auditorium) would head to the nearby shop afterward to perform late-night sets that would broadcast on WSM radio. Over the years, Tubb, who joined the cast of the Opry in 1943, welcomed and encouraged artists including Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Patsy Clin, and Johnny Cash, giving younger artists valuable career exposure. Over time, the shop became a home for community and camaraderie. Tubb was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, and won the Academy of Country Music’s pioneer award in 1980. Tubb died in 1984.
The same year the shop closed, brothers Jamie and Bryan Kenney, co-founders of management company Tusk Brothers Entertainment, bought the four-story building. The brothers are the team behind Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston bar Never Never, as well as Reunion Bar & Hotel in East Nashville. They teamed with Tubb’s grandson Dale Tubb, as well as top-flight Nashville session musician Ilya Toshinskiy, to revitalize the record shop.
“The first time I met these guys, they said, ‘We’ve been entrusted with this important piece of history,’” the younger Tubb tells Billboard. “Everything they do from a storytelling standpoint is to preserve and tell that story properly, to preserve the essence, the bones and the spirit of this place.’”
Now, the building that houses the Ernest Tubb Record Shop, has been revitalized to not only revive the record shop, but make use of all four stories, adding performance spaces, a honky-tonk and an open-air rooftop bar. The walls have the original exposed brick.
Ernest Tubb Record Shop
Andrea Behrends
In the process of preserving the building, the brothers got a first–hand look at the memorabilia Tubb’s grandson had kept over the years, such as journals where the country artist scribbled song ideas, a letter from Minnie Pearl telling Tubb she’d dropped off muffins for him, or a telegram from Johnny Cash telling Tubb that one of Cash’s children had been born. There is another letter from Cash, wherein the Man In Black was attempting to get a meeting with Tubb to discuss playing on the Grand Ole Opry. Much of that memorabilia now lines the walls of the building’s four floors.
“We saw the depths of his influence in a totally new way,” Jamie Kenney says. “[Ernest] was truly the godfather, the kingpin of country music.”
“It’s still very in line with what he did,” Dale Tubb says of the venue’s continuation of his grandfather’s legacy. “He partied hard. Granddad would be slinging booze in here. This place evolved, just like the music did. Music evolves as society evolves.”
The first floor features a honky-tonk with two bars and two stages (including the original stage of Ernest Tubb’s Midnite Jamboree), as well as photos of Tubb with his fellow country stars. Throughout the venue, there is more memorabilia, such as Tubb’s guitars, cowboy boots from the 1940s and a revolver Tubb used as a prop when filming the western The Fighting Buckaroo.
“The story that the first place Patsy [Cline] played in Nashville was the Midnite Jamboree; well, here’s the thank you letter from that night. What are the odds that it’s still in mint condition and didn’t get tossed or hidden in someone’s private collection?” Dale Tubb says. “You could immediately tell there was a sense that these guys care about this type of environment. There’s a true respect for the music.”
On the second floor is the record shop, with vinyl records for sale on wooden shelves, along with branded merchandise, another bar and space to host live acoustic performances in an intimate setting. The third floor offers a private event space, outfitted with vintage lighting and a bar, offering an exclusive setting for industry showcases, album release parties and label events.
Ernest Tubb Record Shop
Andrea Behrends
“Through the whole project, we want to honor the music business, because the music business is the piece that built this,” Jamie says. “We’ve been touring all the labels and the Opry and publishers and artists and just kind of saying, ‘We’re the stewards of this, but this is yours.’”
The basement has been revamped to become The Forty Seven lounge, which showcases wood-paneled walls, vintage accents and velvet seating — all paying tribute to 1947, the year Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop first opened. The Kenney Brothers estimate the remodeled venue has a capacity of around 1,000 people.
“Ernest Tubb seemed to be the classic gatherer of the people, and he was very ahead of his time,” Jamie says. “He always honored the past, but he would always grab the younger artists of his day, people that were up-and-coming. We want to reflect that, too. All these things we’re calling ‘country-adjacent’ or ‘folk,’ ‘Americana.’ I think he would have loved that. It’s going to be a curated artistic aesthetic.”
On Nov. 15, the longtime Midnite Jamboree will return to Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop, airing on WSM 650 AM radio.
“The soul of the record shop was the performances and these country stars wandering over from that alley 200 feet away, after they performed at the Opry, grabbing a flask of whisky or a six-pack, jumping onstage and having a party,” Bryan says.
“We don’t just want to save the record shop,” he adds. “We want to restore the DNA of what made it great and give it a new iteration, so it has many more years.”
Ernest Tubb Record Shop
Andrea Behrends
Trending on Billboard Ye’s (formerly Kanye West) concert slated for Nov. 29 in São Paulo is in jeopardy. According to Metropoles, the São Paulo State Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPSP) has reportedly ordered that West be arrested if he makes any pro-Nazi remarks during the show or performs his controversial song “Heil Hitler.” “No one who […]
