Ernest Dale Tubb (February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984), nicknamed the
Texas Troubadour, was an
American singer and
songwriter and one of the pioneers of
country music. His biggest career hit song, "
Walking the Floor Over You" (1941), marked the rise of the
honky tonk style of music. In 1948, he was the first singer to record a hit version of "
Blue Christmas", a song more commonly associated with
Elvis Presley and his mid-1950s version. Another well-known Tubb hit was "Waltz Across Texas" (1965) (written by his nephew Quanah Talmadge Tubb (Billy Talmadge)), which became one of his most requested songs and is often used in dance halls throughout Texas during
waltz lessons. Tubb recorded duets with the then up-and-coming
Loretta Lynn in the early 1960s, including their hit "Sweet Thang". Tubb is a member of the
Country Music Hall of Fame.