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“It’s just that sound,” Joey told WAND-TV. “No one will be like them. No one will live up to Ernest Tubb or Hank Williams because they’re a one-of-one.”
Joey’s passion for traditional music started unusually early. At just four years old, he was already singing with Polka bands in Wisconsin. That early exposure sparked a lifelong fascination with classic American music.
Over time, his interests expanded to Elvis Presley, rockabilly pioneers, and country icons from the 1940s and 1950s. Today, Joey travels to cemeteries across the country, performing songs at the gravesites of the legends who inspired him.
But music is only part of his mission.
The Cadillac That Carried a Country Music Giant
At the center of this story is a weathered but historic vehicle few Americans knew still existed.
Ernest Tubb’s 1953 Cadillac Fleetwood was more than a luxury car. It was his touring lifeline during the height of his career, carrying him from one honky tonk to another as he helped define the sound of modern country music.
Tubb sold over 30 million records and became one of the earliest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1965. His hit “Walking the Floor Over You” helped introduce honky tonk music to a national audience.
The Cadillac itself was a marvel of its time, equipped with a 331 cubic inch V8 engine, power steering, and a modern 12 volt electrical system. It represented success earned through grit and relentless touring.
As Tubb’s career evolved, the car was eventually parked and forgotten, sitting in a barn for decades before resurfacing at the Heart of Texas Country Music Museum in Brady, Texas.
That is where Joey and his father, Mike Tarczan, found it.
A Father and Son Decide History Is Worth Saving
When Mike Tarczan saw the car, he knew immediately it was more than metal and rust.
“I just fell in love with it — just the story, the provenance behind this car,” Mike said.
The vehicle carried the scars of time. Years of neglect, flood damage from the Nashville floods of 2010, and decades of storage had taken their toll.
“In all of its blemishes, dings and dents, I think it’s beautiful,” Mike explained.
Instead of chasing profit, the Tarczans chose preservation. Back in their Illinois garage, father and son began painstaking restoration work. They removed mud, cut away rusted panels, and hunted down rare replacement parts.
The car may never run again. That is not the point.
“I don’t want the money,” Mike stated. “No! One day when I’m dead and gone, when my son takes his kids to the museum in Texas, he can say ‘me and the old man worked on that car.’”
Why This Project Matters Right Now
Joey understands exactly what is at stake.
“It’s a really special moment,” he said. “It really is. I get to share some of the things I love with my dad.”
Their garage has become a living museum, filled not just with tools and parts, but with lessons about responsibility, heritage, and gratitude for the past.
“We’re trying to save what we have for the next generation,” Mike explained.
Joey continues performing at the graves of country legends, bringing their music back to life through authentic renditions played with reverence and care.
“If not for the young folks, they will be forgotten,” Joey warned.
Ernest Tubb passed away in 1984 after a long battle with emphysema, ending a 50 year career that helped launch stars like Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson. He was known across the industry for generosity and mentorship.
The Tarczans plan to return the Cadillac to Brady, Texas in March 2026 after showcasing it throughout central Illinois.
Their story stands in sharp contrast to today’s culture wars.
While the radical left focuses on tearing down monuments and rewriting history, Americans like Mike and Joey Tarczan quietly preserve it. They restore rather than erase. They teach rather than cancel.
And thanks to a teenage boy who chose tradition over trends, America will not forget Ernest Tubb.
