Sommer of 1955 - Justin Tubb (Magnolia Gardens) and The Grand Ole Opry (Nashville)

[HillbillyCat]

Someone is currently offering a mixed lot of Elvis memorabilia on eBay for the completely absurd price of 10,000 US dollars. It consists of well-known advertising material (e.g. photos from the Las Vegas 56 era), a letter from Bob Neal, a fan club card, a letter from a teenager to a friend (supposedly about an Elvis appearance and the missed chance to get his autograph) and - though it only has an indirect connection with Elvis - pictures taken in June 1955 in Nashville featuring the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium and the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and pictures taken in summer 1955 of Justin Tubb in Magnolia Gardens, Houston, TX.

(Source for all: https://www.ebay.com/itm/375419020305)

Grand Ole Opry (June 11, 1955)
According to the TV Guide for the week of June 11-17, 1955, the Opry Show headliners were: Rod Brasfield, Carl Smith, Ernest Tubb, Faron Young, The Carlisles, Martha Carson, Anita Carter and Minnie Pearl. So I think the photos might show E. Tubb, Smith and Young, among others.

1955-06-11 Grand Ole Opry, Nashville TN (I).jpg

1955-06-11 Grand Ole Opry, Nashville TN (II).jpg

1955-06-11 Grand Ole Opry, Nashville TN (III).jpg

Ernest Tubb Record Shop

1955-06-12 Nashville TN Ernest Tubb Record Shop.jpg

Justin Tubb (Magnolia Gardens, Houston, TX 1955)

Summer 1955 - Magnolia Gardens Houston, TX - Justin Tubb (I).jpg

Summer 1955 - Magnolia Gardens Houston, TX - Justin Tubb (II).jpg

Summer 1955 - Magnolia Gardens Houston, TX - Justin Tubb (III).jpg

Edit 2024-05-09 3:15pm:
I had to edit and change the title here because I suddenly noticed the similarity between the on-stage picture of Justin Tubb and the famous Magnolia Gardens performance by Elvis on August 7, 1955 - it's definitely the same place! And possibly even the same day, as the footage also shows a number of young people sitting at the edge of the stage and possibly the same older man (holding another microphone), playing the piano in the Tubb picture. I had previously wrongly assumed, based on the other photos, that Justin Tubb's pictures might have been taken in Nashville as well, so I also replaced the Tubb photos as they contained incorrect information.

(Source for the Elvis footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N1h3ZArd8A)

Magnolia Gardens 1955 - comparison.jpg