Walking The Floor Over You

Buck Norris sing the Ernest Tubb standard called "Walking The Floor Over You".
Early in 1941, Ernest Tubb cut several new songs, this time backed by Fay "Smitty" Smith, a staff electric guitarist for KGKO. The first single released from these sessions was "Walking the Floor Over You." Over the next few months, the single became a massive hit, eventually selling over a million copies. "Walking the Floor Over You" was the first honky tonk song, launching not only Tubb's career but also the musical genre itself. Tubb sang the song in the Charles Starrett movie Fighting Buckeroos (1941), which led to another film appearance in Starrett's Ridin' West (1942). By the end of 1942, he was popular enough to gain a release from his Gold Chain contract, and he headed to Nashville. Upon his arrival in January of 1943, he joined the Grand Ole Opry and became the first musician to use an electric guitar in the Opry.

Between 1942 and 1944, Tubb made no recordings because of a strike within the recorders' union, yet he continued to tour, often with Pee Wee King and Roy Acuff. Ernest returned to recording in 1944, releasing the number two "Try Me One More Time" early in the year, following by his first number one single, "Soldier's Last Letter," that summer. The two singles kicked off a nearly 15-year streak of virtually uninterrupted Top Ten singles (only four of his 54 singles of that era failed to crack the Top Ten, and even then they made the Top 15). In 1946, he began recording solely with his band, the Texas Troubadors, and he became one of the first country artists to record in Nashville. Between the end of 1945 and the conclusion of 1946, he had a number of huge hits, including "It's Been So Long Darling," "Rainbow at Midnight," "Filipino Baby," and "Drivin' Nails in My Coffin." The singles cemented his reputation in the U.S. and won him new fans around the world.

Early in 1947, he opened the Ernest Tubb Record Shop in Nashville, which he promoted through the Midnight Jamboree, a radio program he designed to fill the post-Opry slot on the radio. That year, he became the first country star to play Carnegie Hall in New York, signalling how much he had done to increase country music's popularity across the United States; a few years before, it would have been unthinkable to have such rural music play in such an urban venue. During 1949, he hit the height of his popularity, charting an astonishing 13 hit singles during the course of the year — which is even more remarkable considering that the chart only had 15 positions each week. Most of those songs were classics, including "Have You Ever Been Lonely? (Have You Ever Been Blue)," "Let's Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello," "I'm Biting My Fingernails and Thinking of You" (a collaboration with the Andrews Sisters), "Slipping Around," and "Blue Christmas." The following year, he had 11 hit singles, including "I Love You Because" and "Throw Your Love My Way," plus several hit duets with Red Foley, including "Tennessee Border No. 2" and the number one "Goodnight Irene." Tubb also demonstrated his influence by helping Hank Snow appear on the Grand Ole Opry and supporting Hank Williams.

Throughout the '50s, Tubb recorded and toured relentlessly, racking up well over 30 hit singles, the majority of which — including the classics "Driftwood on the River" (1951) and "The Yellow Rose of Texas" (1955) — reached the Top Ten. By the end of the decade, his sales dipped slightly, which only meant he wasn't reaching the Top Ten, only the Top 20, with regularity. Nevertheless, he stopped having big hits in the early '60s, as rock & roll and newer, harder honky tonk singers cut into his audience. Even with the decline of his sales, Tubb was able to pack concert halls, and his television show was equally popular. While the quality of his recordings was rather uneven during this time, he still cut a number of classics, including "Thanks a Lot," "Pass the Booze," and "Waltz Across Texas." Beginning in 1964, Decca had him record a series of duets with Loretta Lynn, and over the next five years he made three albums and had four hit singles: "Mr. and Mrs. Used to Be," "Our Hearts Are Holding Hands," "Sweet Thang," and "Who's Gonna Take the Garbage Out."

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Music

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• Norris
• Classic
• Country

[Kidkel69]

Oh yeah, I always show my dad your Ernie Tubb vids

You need to get on Facebook

find me

Kellie Levans

I can do much more promo with the vids over there

[bucknorrismusic]

@Kidkel69 Thanks very much Kellie, I have a facebook account but rarely use it but me videos are automatically posted there. Facebook drives me crazy. LOL My user name is bucknorrismusic on Facebook too.

[BABSINUK]

Hi,long may Ernest Tubb's songs be covered by true country music artists like yourself,seen him on TV a lot lately on old live shows,his real old country music style and his persona as a genuine nice person shone through.

[bucknorrismusic]

@BABSINUK Thanks very much do appreciate it. The more of Ernest's songs I do the more I realize how great he was. He didn't make on looks or slick production just the simple power of his performances. As Ernest would say "Thanks A Lot".

[sherrywine1941]

Hi Buck, Even tho there's some guys behind you, I only have eyes for the handsome one wearing a red shirt in the front !! (now was that better ? ) LOL

Great song..Great singing my friend !!

2 thumbs up !

Hugs, Sherry

[bucknorrismusic]

@sherrywine1941 Oh you devil you! LOL Thanks. LMAO

[oldtexasmusic]

Buck, this one went directly to my favorites. Thanks.

Wearing out your walking shoes? LOLL!!

[bucknorrismusic]

@EmCSpiteri1 LOL, He is actually Jack Greene you can't tell by the "Taxi Cab" Ears. LOL

[bucknorrismusic]

@rupertsteel Thanks very much appreciate it ver much.

[bucknorrismusic]

@941jes I caught Kitty but I don't even remember Goldie Hill. LOL