Justin Tubb - Justin Tubb (Self Titled)
In this week's episode we're featuring a very personal and sometimes touching tribute to Ernest Tubb from his eldest son, Justin Tubb: "Justin Tubb" (1985). Released a year after ET's death, Justin Tubb had wanted to do a tribute album while the old man was still living but it just didn't pan out that way. Instead, JT rounded up several of ET's Texas Troubadours, formed the creatively named "Troubadours Two" and launched into this wonderful tribute. Song selection was based on those Ernest Tubb tunes which held a special place and meaning for Justin himself - and included are several of ET's best known songs as well as some lesser hits. Justin Tubb made a conscious decision early on to not piggyback on his Daddy's larger-than-life reputation, and as such his work was sometimes overshadowed when the Tubb family name came up. However, in terms of quality, Justin Tubb's solo material is easily as good, in this reviewer's opinion, as his old man's - and his vocal certainly held it's own. His songwriting too was first call to the stars from the 50s until the 80s, and he's included three new songs for this tender tribute to the so-called "Daddy Of 'Em All", which rings true in this case. Listen for "Thanks, Troubadour, Thanks" and "Just You And Me Daddy" for a surefire lump in your throat.