Ellis County’s Ernest Tubb Speaks from the Grave

Best wishes of course to Joan Baez, who’s said to be resting comfortably after falling out of a treehouse she built so she could sleep with the birds. On hearing the news, though, I couldn’t help thinking of an interview I did years ago with country-music legend Ernest Tubb, who was born in Ellis County (and died in 1984). Asked to comment about Baez–the 1960s songbird and “peace activist”–Tubb got hot under the collar and said: “That is the most stupidest woman I ever heard of.” Looks like the ol’ Texas Troubador may have been on to something.