(345) ERNEST TUBB BLUE CHRISTMAS

Here is what we said in post number 95 about Ernest Tubb :

(95) ERNEST TUBB DOES BLUE CHRISTMAS FIRST

Country music star, Ernest Tubb did this song first. The song is more known as Elvis' now, "Blue Christmas."

Guess who owned publishing on it? Sylvester Cross, the owner of American Music, the music publishing company where I worked as a staff songwriter, who also had Cross Music.

My dad's cousin owned a coffee shop - restaurant with a juke box. I used to "pearl dive," wash dishes for him. This was when a juke box was stocked with big 78's. I went around singing "I'm Walking The Floor Over You," and "Blue Christmas," Ernest's hits. Elvis listened to this rendition of his favorite Christmas song too.

(215) NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

This link takes you to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame honors list.

http://www.nndb.com/honors/545/000129158/

Among the honorees mentioned in this blog are Ernest Tubb, Marty Robbins, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings, Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan, Mac Davies, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, and Gene Autry.

Use the Google search feature above to read what we have to say about these talented people and the music!

(94) AMERICAN MUSIC AND ELVIS

While Sylvester Cross never pressed me to take demos directly to Elvis when I went to parties at his home or socialized with Elvis, he did thank me more than once for "bringing Elvis to my house." What he meant was not his home, but his music publishing house. What he meant was that because of me Elvis was open to getting demo from various American Music songwriters delivered to him for his consideration.

Actually American Music had a lot to thank Elvis Presley for already. It happened this way. Sylvester had the copyright on "Blue Christmas," which had been recorded by Ernest Tubb, the country music star. He'd hit with it in the 1940s. In about 1958 Elvis recorded it, because it was his personal favorite Christmas song! Every year American Music got a giant revenue from the song because it was so associated with Elvis and his version sold so well.

Now, Elvis also had an interesting relationship with the songwriters at American Music, which was at the time located at 9109 Sunset Boulevard, cross street Doheny, adjacent to Beverly Hills. When Elvis was at MGM or Paramount, on his way home to Bel Air, he would pass by driving in his car, usually later in the day, 5 or 5:30 say. If none of us were standing outside, Elvis would honk six times, then take off. This was his hello. If we were standing out there he would stop and chat with me, Glen Campbell, Jerry Capehart - whomever was out there.