Elmer Denzel Irwin, beloved owner of Santa’s Pub, a Nashville favorite, has died… but his legacy will continue.
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Irwin “passed away peacefully” on Sept. 13 at the age of 75, according to his online obituary.
Irwin, affectionately dubbed “Santa” due to his jolly demeanor and long white beard, bought the double-wide home that became Santa’s Pub in 2010, per Nashville station WZTV. Located on Bransford Avenue, this dive bar is famous for its year-round Christmas decor, quirky vibes, and nightly karaoke.
Santa’s Pub remained steadfast, a beacon of authenticity in a Nashville increasingly overrun with celebrity bars and bachelorette brigades.
Veteran rocker Jon Bon Jovi remembered “the real Santa,” having filmed the official music video for “Christmas Isn’t Christmas” at the bar.
“Denzel gave us more than a location, he gave us his kindness and his time,” Bon Jovi wrote alongside a candid snapshot. “Took some time to sit and speak with him for a while that day, you could feel the heart behind the pub. Rest easy, Denzel.”
Santa’s Pub’s Re-Opened Over the Weekend… with a New Name
Meanwhile, after a month-long closure, Santa’s Pub in Wedgewood-Houston reopened on Sunday to honor the late owner’s birthday and celebrate the bar’s future. Irwin’s grandson, Riley Ricketts, will now run the bar—renamed “The Legendary Santa’s Pub”—with his grandmother, Angelina.
Ricketts grew up watching his grandfather manage this bar. Over the past decade, he said a few unchanging principles have stood the test of time.
“You respect ladies in this bar. No f-bombs…around my granny or the rest of these wonderful women,” he told Nashville outlet WKRN, also noting no cursing on the microphone, no smoking inside, and no beer on stage.
“Watching my grandfather interact with Kacey Musgraves, Ed Sheeran, Kid Rock, the entirety of Kings of Leon, it’s been crazy to see,” Ricketts added, noting the cavelcade of stars who’ve come through the bar.
“It’s another opportunity to keep on doing what Santa started,” he said of taking over the bar. “We’re going to spread love and make everybody a star up on that karaoke stage, and sell ice-cold beer… We’re in a trailer; we can’t get too fancy.”
Despite the name tweak, Ricketts wanted to stress to locals that the famous pub would remain authentic.
“I want people to know that we have no intentions of changing anything about this place,” Ricketts insisted.
For many Nashvillians, The Legendary Santa’s Pub remains a beacon for what used to make Nashville special.
“If you want to see what old Nashville used to be like, I mean, before we had a lot of the big national interests move into downtown, we had little pubs like this where we got together, and good music has been written here,” local artist Stephen Cochran told WKRN.
Ricketts also thanked everyone for their support following Irwin’s death last month.
“Seeing the impact that he had on this community… Seeing those people come back around and spread that love to our family in these hard times… It means a lot. We really appreciate it,” he shared. “We love Nashville. We’re born and raised here, so thank you, Nashville, from the bottom of our hearts.”