Ernest Tubb Record Shop to close

Ernest Tubb Record Shop is closing its doors after a 71-year run on lower Broadway.

Why it matters: Ernest Tubb has been a cornerstone of Nashville's country music industry since opening in 1947, but in recent years struggled to fit in with Lower Broad's lurch into bro country, pedal taverns and raging bachelorette parties.

• The record shop sold physical copies of country music's most vital records and hosted midnight jamborees featuring an array of stars.

Flashback: At the height of its popularity decades ago, Ernest Tub had "100,000 mail-order customers and even expanded to multiple stores in other cities," the Associated Press reported.

What they're saying: "Our goal has always been to protect, promote and preserve the great history of the record shop and building," the shop's owners, a trio of corporate entities, said in a Facebook post on Friday. "That desire remains as strong today as ever."

• "However, due to changes in circumstances out of our control, it's now clear the best way forward is to sell the business and the real estate."

The big picture: From music venues to mom-and-pop diners, the loss of Ernest Tubb is the latest chapter in Nashville's cultural upheaval unfolding in real time.

What's next: The business is slated to close this spring, pending the sale, but the owners did not specify a date.