Country singer George Jones dies at 81 Country singer George Jones, who awed listeners with his ability to immerse himself in his songs and compelled them to do the same, has died. He was 81 years old. Jones was a revelation in the country music culture – equal parts vocal phenom and bad boy – whose drinking and impulsiveness made him just as legendary as his performances. Jones enjoyed his first No. 1 hit, White Lightning, in 1959 and had racked up 150 more chart-topping songs since then. He did it in duets and as a solo artist. He Stopped Loving Her Today was his most famous song and arguably the most famous country song of all time. The song reeked of sorrow and loss and a strong tinge of believability both because listeners could relate to it and because it was reflective of the singer's personal life. "If we all could sound the way we wanted, we'd all sound like George Jones," said singer Waylon Jennings in a tribute song to Jones. Praise like that came from people all over the entertainment spectrum, and Jones had the undying adoration of fans and contemporaries. "We've lost a country music legend," singer Blake Shelton tweeted when news of his death broke Friday. "And I've lost a hero and a friend. Goodbye, George Jones." His career has earned him the highest awards an entertainer can achieve. Then-President George W. Bush awarded Jones the National Medal of Arts in 2002. He also earned a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, a salute from the Kennedy Center and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992. He earned one of his most infamous nicknames, "No Show," because he missed numerous performances due to alcohol addiction during one period of his career. Tales of the lengths he went through to acquire and abuse alcohol or cocaine would have been unbelievable had they not been true. He admitted to going on a two-week binge while married to his second wife, Shirley Conley. In desperation, he drove a 10-horsepower riding lawn mower eight miles to buy liquor after his wife took the keys to their cars when she left the house. The stunt boosted his status as a hard-drinking crooner and drew song parodies from his contemporaries for several years afterward. "I never had anything as a kid, and all of a sudden I had everything thrown at my feet," Jones said in a 1996 autobiography. "It can ruin you quickly," He was playing a festival Mrs G and I attended last summer. We couldn't last more than five minutes. He was obviously in failing health even then. Better to remember the hits like "White Lightning" and "the Race is On.
Just yesterday, I was listening to Jamey Johnson play a medley tribute for his 80th birthday. Another legend passes...
Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes seem appropriate. All of us who listen to country music will miss you. Thanks to the G-man for starting this thread! James
I'm really sorry to hear about this. The man had his rocky times, but he cut some timeless records and was fundamental in defining the honky tonk country sound. When I saw him in the 1990s, he was in fine form and put on a great show, started on time and everything. In my youth I played in a band that played "White Lighting," "Revenooer Man" or both every night, lots of fun and always popular with the crowds. RIP, sir.