Abril 26, 2013

"Hank Williams may have set country music's mythology and Johnny Cash its attitude, but [George] Jones gave the genre its ultimate voice...."

Goodbye to George Jones.
With recordings that spanned 50 years, including Number One singles White Lightning, She Thinks I Still Care and He Stopped Loving Her Today, Jones influenced generations of country singers and was considered by many to be the greatest of them all.

Jones' life also included legendary battles with substance abuse, mostly alcohol, and four marriages, including one to fellow singer Tammy Wynette and another, his last and longest, to Nancy Sepulvado.
Despite all that abuse, the man lived to the age of 81.

43 komento:

John henry ayon kay ...

Goodbye George. You will be missed.

John Henry

Larry Davis ayon kay ...

On seeing this, I said, "Oh No!" I loved hearing his voice. The control and range. So sorry.

ricpic ayon kay ...

Sleep without dreams, George.

Patrick ayon kay ...

One of the greats. RIP

Patrick ayon kay ...

He drove to a liquor store on a riding lawnmower when his second wife, Shirley Corley, hid all the car keys.

When I was younger, I thought that was a cool and funny story. Now, I mostly think it's sad.

Calypso Facto ayon kay ...

Rightfully, a legend.

Thankfully, with enough humor to make fun of his past, like in this Vince Gill video.

Bob ayon kay ...

Bet he shows up late at the Pearly Gates. Hope St. Peter is as understanding as his fans have been down through the years.

Hindi-nagpakilala ayon kay ...

The Rolls Royce of country music.

Peace out, Possum.

Widmerpool ayon kay ...

The best.

My favorite:

Good Year for the Roses

Eric the Fruit Bat ayon kay ...

He didn't have the face of a booze-hound so he must have been doing something right.

Hindi-nagpakilala ayon kay ...

Who will be the third this week (Havens, Jones...)?

Hindi-nagpakilala ayon kay ...

Oh, almost forget: He stopped loving her today.

Widmerpool ayon kay ...

A close second

The Grand Tour

Widmerpool ayon kay ...

And one more:

Walk Through This World With Me

tiger ayon kay ...

He 'gave country music its voice'?

Not in the least.

For a drunk with emotional problems he sang some good songs though.

dreams ayon kay ...

He stopped loving her today.

Country singer George Jones dies at 81

Widmerpool ayon kay ...

Buy through Althouse portal!

The Bradley Barn Sessions

edutcher ayon kay ...

The epitome of Too Much, Too Soon.

And, like Jerry Garcia, nobody thought he would make it to retirement.

He did, because he was able to clean up his act, and that probably explains the length of his last marriage.

Big Mike ayon kay ...

"He Stopped Loving Her Today" has to be one of the all-time saddest songs in any musical genre. If you can listen to that song, or watch the ending to "Old Yeller," without tears in your eyes then you were born without a heart.

Shanna ayon kay ...

Awww. George Jones, RIP.

Shanna ayon kay ...

"He Stopped loving her today"

They placed a wreath upon his door And soon they'll carry him away...

I always thought it was funny when Hillary made her 'no tammy wynette standing by her man' comment because Tammy Wynette left George because of his drinking. He managed to live through it all and was still making music a few years back.

Eric the Fruit Bat ayon kay ...

Man.

I justed listened to "He Stopped Loving Her Today" for the first time.

That's a real fucking punch to the gut.

Methadras ayon kay ...

I was not and am not a country fan, but I had some admiration for his hard life and long life. RIP.

jacksonjay ayon kay ...


I always thought it was funny when Hillary made her 'no tammy wynette standing by her man' comment because Tammy Wynette left George because of his drinking. He managed to live through it all and was still making music a few years back.

The irony of Hillary's stupid comment is that Tammy was one hellofa tough lady! Independent, self-made and tough as nails!

traditionalguy ayon kay ...

Jones came by his popularity among Southerners honestly: He was a Marine and a binge drinker. But even with his limitations, we have learned that we can trust men like him.

Baron Zemo ayon kay ...

George Jones is what country music is all about. He is the master.

One of my favorite songs of all time is his brilliant Choices!

Æthelflæd ayon kay ...

Walk Through This World with Me is my favorite. I believe he's been sober for close to 20 years now. He also sang some gospel with Vestal Goodman in his later years.

Dr Weevil ayon kay ...

Perhaps even sadder than the song: when Tammy Wynette died at 55, he said he never thought (with all his drinking and drugging) that he'd outlive her.

Farmer ayon kay ...

Incredible songwriter. One of the best in the history of the U.S. Great singer too.

Known Unknown ayon kay ...

His liver may have died 20 years ago, but his amazing voice never abandoned him.

Unknown ayon kay ...

An entire book on the making of "He Stopped Loving Her Today". Pretty good read.

http://www.amazon.com/Stopped-Loving-Her-Today-Pretty-Much/dp/1617031011/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366995426&sr=8-1&keywords=isenhour

Our Professor might like you to order it.

Cody Jarrett ayon kay ...

I always thought I should be a George Jones fan, but I never really was. I much prefer any of the three Hanks, and Cash is King.

But still...it's a loss.

Dr Weevil ayon kay ...

Who are "the three Hanks"? Williams, Snow, and Thompson? Or Williams, Williams Jr, and Williams III? (There may be other possible Hankful trios.)

Shanna ayon kay ...

Someone on facebook mentioned 'who's going to fill their shoes' and now that's going to be in my head all afternoon.

Shanna ayon kay ...

Or Williams, Williams Jr, and Williams III?

This one.

Dr Weevil ayon kay ...

Another amusing-but-sad thing: the reviewer of his memoirs in (I think) The American Spectator noted that he ended up apologizing for a lot of things he didn't even remember doing. Also, that people had thought for years that the lawnmower story was too bad to be entirely true, but he confirmed it in the book. As I recall, he not only drove a ride-on mower 8 miles to the liquor store when his wife hid the car-keys, he was pulled over for drunken driving on the way back home.

Clyde ayon kay ...

@ Strelnikov

Chrissie Amphlett, lead singer of the Divinyls, on April 21st at age 53. George makes three.

Clyde ayon kay ...

I had to make a trip to the library to return a couple of books that were due today. On the way home, I stopped off for pizza and as I was driving back, I heard it mentioned on the country station I was listening to. They then played "The One I Loved Back Then," which is one of my favorite George Jones songs. I love the little twist to the story.

I'm having a beer in George's memory, since I don't have any whiskey in the house.

Steve Koch ayon kay ...

"He stopped loving her today", what a great, great song. Jones hated the song and said "Nobody'll buy that morbid son of a bitch". It turned out to be the country song of the year, won a Grammy, and rejuvenated Jones' career (Jones said "a four-decade career had been salvaged by a three-minute song.").

Michael ayon kay ...

He outlived Tammy by 15 years. Rest in Peace, George.

JohnJ ayon kay ...

Jones' rendition of "When Did You Stop Loving Me?"

One of the very few country songs I'd go out of my way to hear--even after it was appropriated by Honda (I think it was).

Gonna be sure to play it on the way home, tonight.

Ipso Fatso ayon kay ...

RIP George, you will be missed.

sakredkow ayon kay ...

I was partial to The Grand Tour - which I first heard on Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Show. Bob called it a "rip snorter" and it surely is.

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