Jones, George

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{{Infobox musical artist  <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians —>
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{{Images OK}}{{submitted}}{{approved}}{{copyedited}}
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{{epname|Jones, George}}
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{{Infobox musical artist   
 
|Name                = George Jones |
 
|Name                = George Jones |
 
|Img                = George Jones.jpg
 
|Img                = George Jones.jpg
|Img_capt            = Jones performing at [[Harrah's Metropolis]] in [[Metropolis, Illinois]] in June 2002|
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|Img_capt            = Jones performing in June 2002|
|Img_size            = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels —> |
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|Img_size            = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels —> |
 
|Landscape          = |
 
|Landscape          = |
 
|Background          = solo_singer |
 
|Background          = solo_singer |
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|Alias              = The Possum <br/> No Show Jones |
 
|Alias              = The Possum <br/> No Show Jones |
 
|Born                = {{birth date and age|1931|9|12}} |
 
|Born                = {{birth date and age|1931|9|12}} |
|Died                = |
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|Died                = {{death date and age|2013|4|26|1931|9|12}} |
 
|Origin              = [[Saratoga, Texas]], [[United States of America|USA]] |
 
|Origin              = [[Saratoga, Texas]], [[United States of America|USA]] |
|Instrument          = [[Acoustic guitar|Acoustic Guitar]]<br/>[[Piano]] {{Fact|date=July 2007}}<br/>[[Vocals]] |
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|Instrument          = [[Acoustic guitar|Acoustic Guitar]], [[Vocals]] |
 
|Genre              = [[Country music|Country Music]] |
 
|Genre              = [[Country music|Country Music]] |
|Occupation          = [[Singer-Songwriter]]<br/>[[Guitarist]] |
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|Occupation          = [[Singer-Songwriter]]|
 
|Years_active        = 1954 &ndash; Present
 
|Years_active        = 1954 &ndash; Present
 
|Label              = [[Starday Records|Starday]] <small>(1954 - 1958)</small> <br/>[[Mercury Records|Mercury]] <small>(1958 - 1962)</small><br/>[[United Artists Records|United Artists]] <small>(1962 - 1965)</small><br/> [[Musicor Records|Musicor]] <small>(1965 - 1971)</small><br/> [[Epic Records|Epic]] <small>(1971 - 1991)</small><br/> [[MCA Nashville Records|MCA Nashville]] <small>(1991 - 1999)</small><br/> [[Asylum Records|Asylum]] <small>(1999 - 2001)</small><br/> Bandit <small>(2001 - Present)</small> |
 
|Label              = [[Starday Records|Starday]] <small>(1954 - 1958)</small> <br/>[[Mercury Records|Mercury]] <small>(1958 - 1962)</small><br/>[[United Artists Records|United Artists]] <small>(1962 - 1965)</small><br/> [[Musicor Records|Musicor]] <small>(1965 - 1971)</small><br/> [[Epic Records|Epic]] <small>(1971 - 1991)</small><br/> [[MCA Nashville Records|MCA Nashville]] <small>(1991 - 1999)</small><br/> [[Asylum Records|Asylum]] <small>(1999 - 2001)</small><br/> Bandit <small>(2001 - Present)</small> |
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|Notable_instruments = [[Acoustic guitar|Acoustic Guitar]] |
 
|Notable_instruments = [[Acoustic guitar|Acoustic Guitar]] |
 
}}
 
}}
'''George Glenn Jones''' (born September 12, 1931 in [[Saratoga, Texas]]), is an award-winning American [[country music]] singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to [[Tammy Wynette]].
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'''George Glenn Jones''' (September 12, 1931 - April 26, 2013), was an award-winning American [[country music]] singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his famous marriage to fellow country star [[Tammy Wynette]]. Frequently referred to during the last twenty years of his career as "the greatest living country singer," Jones' superb vocal control and expressiveness influenced many top singers of the current generation of male country stars.
  
Over the past 20 years, Jones has frequently been referred to as "the greatest living country singer." The country music scholar Bill C. Malone writes, "For the two or three minutes consumed by a song, Jones immerses himself so completely in its [[lyrics]], and in the mood it conveys, that the listener can scarcely avoid becoming similarly involved."
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Jones had 14 number-one hit singles, including "He Stopped Loving Her Today," "White Lightning," "Walk Through This World With Me," and "She Thinks I Still Care," as well as many top-selling duets, especially with his third wife, the late [[Tammy Wynette]]. In the 1970s, Jones and Wynette were the acknowledged "king and queen" of country music, singing about and exemplifying an ideal of marital love which, unfortunately, lacked the foundation of individual character to last. Indeed, through much of his long career, Jones made headlines as much for tales of his drinking, carousing, and temper as for his music.  
 
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{{toc}}
Throughout his long career, Jones made headlines often as much for tales of his drinking, stormy relationships with women, and violent rages as for his prolific career of making records and touring. His wild lifestyle led to Jones missing many performances, earning him the nickname "No Show Jones," but Jones never hid or denied his faults and now, with the help of his fourth wife, he has been "clean" for years. Jones clocked up scores of hits during his career, both as a solo artist and in duets with other artists. Jone was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992, and in 2002 he received the U.S. National Medal of Arts.  
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Jones' career spanned more than 55 years during which he gained a host of awards and national recognition. He was inducted into the [[Country Music Hall of Fame]] in 1992, received the  [[Grammy]] Hall of Fame award in 1998, and in 2002, he received the U.S. [[National Medal of Arts]].  
  
 
==Early life==
 
==Early life==
Jones was born in Saratoga, Texas and raised in [[Vidor, Texas]], along with his brother and five sisters (another sister died young before George was born), being exposed to music from an early age from his parents own record collection and listening to the gospel music he heard in church. When George was seven, the Jones family bought a radio which introduced George to the country music that would become his life. The gift of a guitar when Jones was a young boy of nine soon saw him busking for money on the streets of his home town Beaumont.
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George Jones was born in [[Saratoga, Texas]] and raised in nearby Vidor, a few miles outside of [[Beaumont, Texas|Beaumont]] along with his brother and five sisters. Another sister died young before George was born. He was exposed to music from an early age through his parents' record collection and listening to the [[gospel music]] he heard in church. When George was seven, the Jones family bought a radio, which introduced George to the [[country music]] that would become his life. The gift of a [[guitar]] when Jones was a boy of nine soon saw him playing for tips on the streets of Beaumont.
 
 
Jones left home at 16 and headed for [[Jasper, Texas]] where he found work singing and playing on a local radio station. Before he was out of his teens he married his first wife, Dorothy, but their union didn't even last a full year and Jones joined the [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]]. Despite the [[Korean War]] being fought at the time, Jones never experienced active service overseas, instead he sang in bars near his base in [[California]]. After leaving the Marines his music career took off. Jones will be awarded Kennedy Center Honors for his contribution to American arts and culture on December 8, 2008.
 
 
 
==Recent life==
 
He currently lives in [[Franklin, Tennessee]] with his wife, Nancy Jones. Also in a separate house on his property live Sherry Hohimer, his stepdaughter. Sherry's husband, Kirk, helps George Jones with concert setup. Sherry and Kirk's children Carlos and Breann Hohimer and his other step daughter Adina and her son Cameron Estes who had lived on the property (George's grandchildren) live on his property.
 
 
 
Despite being in his seventies, Jones is still an active recording artist and still tours extensively on the North American continent as well as overseas. His other projects include the George Jones "University" which is a twice-yearly training program for those wishing to learn about a career in the music business. He also endorses his own brand of sausages which are produced for him by Williams Sausage Company of Tennessee using Jones's own recipe. The product boxes feature stories from Jones's colorful life. Other food products he has brought out include a range of barbecue sauces.
 
 
 
Jones and wife Nancy run a diner in [[Enterprise, Alabama]], which is decorated with memorabilia from Jones's long career in the country-music business.
 
 
 
Jones is also a partner in Bandit Records, an independent record company set up by Jones and others when Jones's former record company [[Asylum Records]] was closed down by its owners [[AOL Time Warner]]. Bandit Records philosophy is to "create unique, interesting projects with artistic integrity that can operate free from the constraints of the corporate music industry."
 
 
 
In 2006, he was treated in hospital for [[pneumonia]] but made a full recovery and continued with his prolific touring schedule.
 
 
 
2008 marks Jones's fifty-fifth year recording country music (1954-2008, inclusive, according to all major biographies), while he first hit the charts in 1955, according to GeorgeJones.com. Additionally, it is his thirty-ninth (1969-2008, inclusive) as a member of the [[Grand Ole Opry]].
 
 
 
==Marriages==
 
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Jones wynette.jpg|thumb|right|Jones with his third wife, [[Tammy Wynette]]]] —>
 
Jones was married twice before he turned 24. His first marriage was to Dorothy Bonvillion in 1950, a marriage that lasted but a year. They had one daughter, Susan. In 1954, Jones married Shirley Ann Corley. This marriage lasted until 1968 and they had two sons, Jeffrey and Brian. He next married fellow country musician [[Tammy Wynette]] in 1969. They were married until 1975 and had one daughter, Georgette. Georgette Jones, now a published country singer in her own right, has performed on stage with her famous father. He married his current wife, Nancy Sepulveda, on March 4, 1983 in [[Woodville, Texas|Woodville, TX]]. Sepulveda also became his manager. Jones credits Nancy for rescuing him from drinking, as well as [[cocaine]] consumption. The couple currently live in [[Enterprise, Alabama]].
 
 
 
  
 +
Jones left home at 16 and headed for [[Jasper, Texas]], where he found work singing and playing on a local radio station, later moving to KRIC in Beaumont. While there he briefly met his idol and greatest musical influence, [[Hank Williams]], who had stopped by the station to promote a performance.
  
==Substance Abuse==
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Before he was out of his teens, Jones married his first wife, Dorothy, but their union lasted less than a year. Jones then joined the [[United States Marine Corps]] and gained more musical experience singing in bars near his base in [[California]].
Jones' alcohol consumption was legendary. For a great part of his life he woke up to a [[Screwdriver (cocktail)|screwdriver]] and spent the rest of the day drinking [[bourbon whiskey|bourbon]]. He was given the nickname "No-Show Jones" as a result of his missing many performances during his days of drug abuse.
 
  
Perhaps the best-known story of his drinking days is tragicomic. While married to the former Shirley Corley, his second wife, Jones resorted to some desperate measures in getting alcohol.
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==Career==
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After leaving the Marines, Jones married his second wife, Shirley Ann Corley in 1954. He signed with Starday records and had his first hit in 1955: "Why Baby Why." The song, which he had co-written, reached number four on the Billboard country chart. Jones reached number three in 1956, with "Just One More." Moving to the Mercury label, he recorded several [[rockabilly]] sides using the moniker "Thumper Jones."
  
{{cquote|Once, when I had been drunk for several days, Shirley decided she would make it physically impossible for me to buy liquor. I lived about eight miles from [[Beaumont, Texas|Beaumont]] and the nearest liquor store. She knew I wouldn't walk that far to get booze, so she hid the keys to every car we owned and left.  
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Jones' career really took off in 1959, when his "White Lightning," an up-tempo novelty number about drinking moonshine [[whiskey]], reached number one. Two more number one hits followed in 1961, with "Tender Years" and "She Thinks I Still Care." These ballads displayed Jones' unique use of tonal control to produce an unrivaled expressiveness, establishing him as one of the top talents of the era.
  
But she forgot about the lawn mower.
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He continued to score hits consistently after switching to Musicor label, often the Top Ten in the mid and late 60s. He also had a number of hit duets singles and albums on various labels with [[Melba Montgomery]], [[Gene Pitney]], and several other artists. In 1967, his ballad, "Walk Through This World With Me" was yet another number one hit.
 +
{{readout||left|250px|George Jones and [[Tammy Wynette]] recorded many hit duets that made the couple the undisputed king and queen of [[country music]]}}
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After divorcing in 1968, Jones married [[Tammy Wynette]] the following year, a partnership that led to many more hit duets and made the couple the unquestioned king and queen of country music and a major attraction when they performed together live. Jones followed Wynette to Epic Records, where producer Billy Sherrill further perfected his sound. Their duet "Take Me" reached number nine in 1972. They followed this with the smash hit "We're Gonna Hold On" in 1973, reaching number one together for the first time.
  
I can vaguely remember my anger at not being able to find keys to anything that moved and looking longingly out a window at a light that shone over our property. There, gleaming in the glow, was that 10-horsepower rotary engine under a seat. A key glistening in the ignition.
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Jones had two more number one hit singles on his own in 1974: "The Grand Tour" and "The Door."  Jones' marriage to Wynette ended in 1975, but their singing partnership continued to score successes. Their ironic duet "Golden Ring," detailing several poignant chapters in a failed young marriage, reached number one in 1976. The duo's classic love song, "Near You" did likewise in 1977, despite the paradox of the now divorced couple pledging their undying love in song. Several Jones-Wynette albums of this period were also huge successes.
  
I imagine the top speed for that old mower was five miles per hour. It might have taken an hour and a half or more for me to get to the liquor store, but get there I did.<ref>Jones, George. ''I Lived to Tell It All.'' New York: Dell Publishing Company, 1996.</ref>
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Despite his identification with ballads and romantic duets, Jones also recorded a number of novelty songs which delighted audiences through the years from his first number one "White Lightning" to "The Race Is On," "Love Bug," the duets "We're Not The Jet Set" and "God's Gonna Getcha For That" with Wynette, and many others.  
  
The riding mower doesn't seem to be a one-time event. Wife [[Tammy Wynette]] told her own riding mower story in her 1979 autobiography.  
+
In 1980, Jones released "He Stopped Loving Her Today," one of his biggest hits. It was honored as best record of the year by both the [[Country Music Association]] and the [[Academy of Country Music]], as well as a [[Grammy]] for best male country vocal performance. Jones was named CMA male vocalist of the year in 1980 and 1981.
  
{{cquote|About 1:00 a.m. I would wake up and look over to find he was gone. I got into the car and drove to the nearest bar 10 miles away.  
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In 1983, Jones married Nancy Sepulveda, who soon became his manager. In the 80s and 90s, Jones' reputation as a superb duet artist found him recording with such diverse singers as [[James Taylor]], [[Johnny Paycheck]] (formerly Jones' singer partner in the "Jones Boys"), [[Ray Charles]], [[Merle Haggard]], [[Brenda Lee]], [[Shelby Lynne]], [[Randy Travis]], [[Alan Jackson]], and [[Garth Brooks]]. The last three of these and many others of the younger generation of male country stars cited Jones as a major influence on their singing styles.
  
When I pulled into the parking lot there sat our rider-mower right by the entrance. He'd driven that mower right down a main highway. He looked up and saw me and said, `Well, fellas, here she is now. My little wife, I told you she'd come after me.'<ref> Wynette, Tammy; Wynette, Dew and Wynette, Joan, "Stand By Your Man,"  New York: Simon and Schuster, 1979.</ref>}}
+
Jones moved to MCA Records in 1991, and in 1992 he was elected to the [[Country Music Hall of Fame]]. He soon produced a surprisingly successful video, "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair," as well as a hit album ''HighTech Redneck''. His next offering was an acoustic album, ''The Bradley Barn Sessions,'' which also won critical acclaim, followed by a reunion album with Wynette entitled ''One,'' which proved that the couple could still both sing well as a couple and sell records together.
  
Jones later jokingly sang of the lawn mower incident in his 1996 single "[[I Lived to Tell It All|Honky Tonk Song]]," and parodied his own arrest in the song's music video.
+
Jones career slowed in the later 90s as his drinking and carousing caused hims to miss many performances and solidified his reputation as "No Show Jones." However, his ' 1996 autobiography, ''I Lived to Tell It All,'' reached number six on the [[New York Times]] bestseller list. After a serious car crash in 1999, Jones released a reflective ballad entitled "Choices," which, while not a major hit, charted well and earned him another Grammy.
  
In the 1970s, Jones was introduced to cocaine by a manager before a show in which he was too tired to perform. This accelerated his already unpredictable actions. His self-destructive bent brought him close to death and to the inside of a [[psychiatric hospital]] in [[Alabama]] at the end of the decade. Although somewhat celebrated by some of his fans as the hard-drinkin', fast-livin' spiritual-son of his idol, [[Hank Williams, Sr.|Hank Williams]], he missed so many booked engagements that he became known as "No-Show Jones." He was often broke and later admitted that friends [[Waylon Jennings]] and [[Johnny Cash]] came to his aid financially during this period.
+
Jones has continued to be active in the new millennium, making numerous television appearances and recording the album ''The Rock: Stone Cold Country'' in 2001. In 2003, he released ''The Gospel Collection.'' His ''Hits I Missed… And One I Didn't'' (2005) featured songs Jones declined to record, but which became hits for the other artists, plus his own mega-hit "He Stopped Loving Her Today." In 2006, Jones and [[Merle Haggard]] collaborated on ''Kickin' Out the Footlights … Again''.
  
Poking fun at his past, two country music videos would feature Jones arriving on a riding lawn mower. The first was [[Hank Williams, Jr.|Hank Williams, Jr's]] "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" in 1984 while the second was [[Vince Gill|Vince Gill's]] "[[One More Last Chance]]" in 1993. In fact, Gill's song mentioned the riding lawn mower with the lines "She might have took my car keys, but she forgot about my old [[John Deere Tractor|John Deere]]." At the end of Gill's video, he is leaving the golf course on a John Deere tractor and greets Jones with "hey possum." Jones, arriving at the golf course driving a John Deere riding lawn mower with a set of golf clubs mounted behind him, would reply back to Gill "hey sweetpea."
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==Personal life==
 +
Despite being in his 70s, Jones continued his career as an active recording artist and toured extensively on the North American continent as well as overseas. His other projects included the George Jones "University" which is a twice-yearly training program for those wishing to learn about a career in the music business. Jones was also a partner in Bandit Records. In 2006, he was treated in a hospital for [[pneumonia]] but made a full recovery and continued with his touring schedule. The year 2008 marked Jones' fifty-fifth year recording country music.
  
 +
Jones had two sons with his second wife, Shirley Ann Corley. Jones had one daughter, Georgette, with Tammy Wynette. Georgette Jones, now a published country singer in her own right, has performed on stage with her famous father. He married his fourth wife, Nancy Sepulveda, on March 4, 1983, in [[Woodville, Texas|Woodville, TX]]. Jones credited Nancy for rescuing him from drinking, as well as [[cocaine]] consumption. He and Nancy owned a diner in [[Enterprise, Alabama]], which is decorated with memorabilia from Jones' long career in the country-music business.
  
 +
George Jones died early in the morning of April 26, 2013, at the age of 81. He had been hospitalized since April 18, 2013, at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville with fever and irregular blood pressure.
  
 +
==Legacy==
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Jones' gift of perfectly embodying a song's mood has been a key influence on numerous country artists. Other than his own idol, [[Hank Williams]], he is cited more often by country singers as a major influence than any other artist. His duets with Tammy Wynette and others are among the best ever recorded, and his large catalog of solo albums and singles evidence his unique talent as a vocalist with superb range, control, sensitivity, and power.
  
 +
His awards include:
  
==Awards==
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*Inclusion in the Walkway of Stars at the Country Music Hall Of Fame, [[Country Music Hall of Fame]], 1970
{| class="wikitable"
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*Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "He Stopped Loving Her Today," 1980
|-
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*Induction into the [[Country Music Hall of Fame]], 1992
! Year !! Award !! Awards || Notes
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*The Pioneer Award from the [[Academy of Country Music]], 1993
|-
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*[[Grammy Hall of Fame Award]], 1998
| 1956 || Most Promising New Country Vocalist || [[Billboard magazine|Billboard]] ||
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*U.S. National Medal of Arts from the [[National Endowment of the Arts]], 2002
|-
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*Ranked number three of the [[40 Greatest Men of Country Music]], [[Country Music Television|CMT]], 2003
| 1962 || Most Promising New Country Vocalist || Country Music D.J. Convention ||
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*Kennedy Center Honors, Washington, D.C., 2008.
|-
 
| 1962 ||  Male Vocalist of the Year || [[Cash Box magazine|Cash Box]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1962 ||  Male Vocalist of the Year || [[Billboard magazine|Billboard]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1963 ||  Male Vocalist of the Year || Country Music D.J. Convention ||
 
|-
 
| 1963 ||  Male Vocalist of the Year || [[Cash Box magazine|Cash Box]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1963 ||  Male Vocalist of the Year || [[Billboard magazine|Billboard]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1970 || Walkway of Stars at the Country Music Hall Of Fame || [[Country Music Hall of Fame]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1972 || Top Vocal Duo || [[Cash Box magazine|Cash Box]] || with [[Tammy Wynette]]
 
|-   
 
| 1973 || Top Vocal Duo || [[Cash Box magazine|Cash Box]] || with [[Tammy Wynette]]
 
|-
 
| 1976 || Top Duet || [[Cash Box magazine|Cash Box]] || with [[Tammy Wynette]]
 
|-
 
| 1980 || [[Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance|Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "He Stopped Loving Her Today"]] || [[Grammy]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1980 || Male Vocalist of the Year || [[Academy of Country Music]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1980 || Male Vocalist of the Year || [[Country Music Awards|CMA]] || 
 
|-
 
| 1980 || "[[He Stopped Loving Her Today]]" Song of the Year || [[Country Music Awards|CMA]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1980 || "[[He Stopped Loving Her Today]]" Single of the Year || [[Country Music Awards|CMA]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1981 || Male Vocalist of the Year || [[Country Music Awards|CMA]]
 
|-
 
| 1981 || "[[He Stopped Loving Her Today]]" Song of the Year || [[Country Music Awards|CMA]] || Won "Song of the Year" two years in a row.
 
|-
 
| 1981 ||  Male Vocalist of the Year || Music City News ||
 
|-
 
| 1981 || "[[He Stopped Loving Her Today]]" Single of the Year || Music City News ||
 
|-
 
| 1986 || Music Video of the Year: "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" || [[Country Music Awards|CMA]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1987 || Living Legend || Music City News ||
 
|-
 
| 1992 || "[[He Stopped Loving Her Today]]" Voted All-Time Country Song ||
 
|-
 
| 1992 || Inducted into the [[Country Music Hall of Fame]] || [[Country Music Hall of Fame]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1993 || The Pioneer Award || [[Academy of Country Music]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1993 || Vocal Event of the Year: "I Don't Need Your Rockin Chair" || [[Country Music Awards|CMA]] || with [[Garth Brooks]], [[Joe Diffie]], [[Pam Tillis]], [[T. Graham Brown]], [[Mark Chesnutt]], [[Travis Tritt]], [[Vince Gill]], [[Alan Jackson]], [[Patty Loveless]], and [[Clint Black]]
 
|-
 
| 1995 || Vocal Collaboration of the Year: "A Good Year for the Roses" with Alan Jackson || TNN/Music City News ||
 
|-
 
| 1998 || [[GRAMMY Hall of Fame Award|Hall of Fame Award]] || [[Grammy]] ||
 
|-
 
| 1998 || Vocal Event of the Year: "[[You Don't Seem to Miss Me]]" || [[Country Music Awards|CMA]] || with [[Patty Loveless]]
 
|-
 
| 1999 || [[Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance|Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Choices"]]  || [[Grammy]] ||
 
|-
 
| 2001 || Vocal Event of the Year: "Too Country" || [[Country Music Awards|CMA]] || with [[Brad Paisley]], [[Bill Anderson]], and [[Buck Owens]] ||
 
|-
 
| 2002 || U.S. National Medal of Arts || National Endowment of the Arts
 
|-
 
| 2003 || Ranked #3 of the [[40 Greatest Men of Country Music]] || [[Country Music Television|CMT]]  
 
|-
 
| 2007 || The key to the city of [[Corpus Christi, Texas]] || The city of [[Corpus Christi, Texas]]
 
|-
 
| 2008 || Kennedy Center Honors || Washington, D.C.  
 
|}
 
  
 
==Discography==
 
==Discography==
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|-
 
|-
 
| 1965
 
| 1965
| ''[[Famous Country Duets]]'' <br><small>(with [[Gene Pitney]] and Melba Montgomery)</small>
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| ''[[Famous Country Duets]]'' <br/><small>(with [[Gene Pitney]] and Melba Montgomery)</small>
 
| align="center"| -
 
| align="center"| -
 
| align="center"| -
 
| align="center"| -
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|-
 
|-
 
| 1965
 
| 1965
| ''[[George Jones and Gene Pitney: For the First Time! Two Great Singers|George Jones and Gene Pitney: <br>For the First Time! Two Great Singers]]'' <small>(with Gene Pitney)</small>
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| ''[[George Jones and Gene Pitney: For the First Time! Two Great Singers|George Jones and Gene Pitney: <br/>For the First Time! Two Great Singers]]'' <small>(with Gene Pitney)</small>
 
| align="center"| 3
 
| align="center"| 3
 
| align="center"| 141
 
| align="center"| 141
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|-
 
|-
 
| 2005
 
| 2005
| ''[[Hits I Missed...And One I Didn't]]''
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| ''[[Hits I Missed…And One I Didn't]]''
 
| align="center"| 13
 
| align="center"| 13
 
| align="center"| 79
 
| align="center"| 79
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| align="center"| 15
 
| align="center"| 15
 
| align="center"| 79
 
| align="center"| 79
 +
| align="center"| -
 +
|-
 +
| 2009
 +
| ''[[A Collection of My Best Recollection]]''
 +
| align="center"| 22
 +
| align="center"| 88
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| align="center"| Cracker Barrel
 +
| align="center"| -
 +
|-
 +
| 2010
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| ''[[The Great Lost Hits]]''
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| align="center"| 52
 +
| align="center"| -
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| align="center"| Time Life
 +
| align="center"| -
 +
|-
 +
| 2011
 +
| ''[[Hits]]''
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| align="center"| 39
 +
| align="center"| -
 +
| align="center"| Bandit
 
| align="center"| -
 
| align="center"| -
 
|-
 
|-
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# "I Always Get Lucky With You" (1983)
 
# "I Always Get Lucky With You" (1983)
  
==Notes==
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==See also==
{{reflist}}
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*[[Tammy Wynette]]
  
==Further reading==
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==References==
*Dawidoff, Nicholas. ''In The Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music''. New York: Vintage Books, 1998, ISBN 0-375-70082-X
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*Dawidoff, Nicholas. ''In The Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music''. New York: Vintage Books, 1998, ISBN 0-375-70082-X.
*Jones, George, with Carter, Tom. ''I Lived to Tell it All''. New York: Dell Publishing, 1997, ISBN 0-440-22373-3
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*Jones, George, with Carter, Tom. ''I Lived to Tell it All''. New York: Dell Publishing, 1997, ISBN 0-440-22373-3.
*Malone, Bill C. ''Country Music U.S.A.''. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1985, ISBN 0-292-71096-8
+
*Malone, Bill C. ''Country Music U.S.A.''. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1985, ISBN 0-292-71096-8.
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
*[http://www.georgejones.com/ Official Website]
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All links retrieved June 15, 2017.
*[http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com/site/inductees.aspx?cid=132 at the Country Music Hall of Fame]
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*[http://www.georgejones.com/ Official Website] ''georgejones.com''
*[http://www.opry.com/MeetTheOpry/Members.aspx?id=56 at the Grand Ole Opry]
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*[http://countrymusichalloffame.org/artists/artist-detail/george-jones At the Country Music Hall of Fame] ''countrymusichalloffame.com''
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*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQMI7TksYo0 "Choices"]  
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Revision as of 22:16, 15 June 2017

George Jones
Jones performing in June 2002
Jones performing in June 2002
Background information
Birth name George Glenn Jones
Also known as The Possum
No Show Jones
Born September 12 1931 (1931-09-12) (age 92)
Origin Saratoga, Texas, USA
Died April 26 2013 (aged 81)
Genre(s) Country Music
Occupation(s) Singer-Songwriter
Instrument(s) Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Years active 1954 – Present
Label(s) Starday (1954 - 1958)
Mercury (1958 - 1962)
United Artists (1962 - 1965)
Musicor (1965 - 1971)
Epic (1971 - 1991)
MCA Nashville (1991 - 1999)
Asylum (1999 - 2001)
Bandit (2001 - Present)
Website GeorgeJones.com
Members
Country Music Hall of Fame
Grand Ole Opry
Notable instrument(s)
Acoustic Guitar

George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 - April 26, 2013), was an award-winning American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his famous marriage to fellow country star Tammy Wynette. Frequently referred to during the last twenty years of his career as "the greatest living country singer," Jones' superb vocal control and expressiveness influenced many top singers of the current generation of male country stars.

Jones had 14 number-one hit singles, including "He Stopped Loving Her Today," "White Lightning," "Walk Through This World With Me," and "She Thinks I Still Care," as well as many top-selling duets, especially with his third wife, the late Tammy Wynette. In the 1970s, Jones and Wynette were the acknowledged "king and queen" of country music, singing about and exemplifying an ideal of marital love which, unfortunately, lacked the foundation of individual character to last. Indeed, through much of his long career, Jones made headlines as much for tales of his drinking, carousing, and temper as for his music.

Jones' career spanned more than 55 years during which he gained a host of awards and national recognition. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992, received the Grammy Hall of Fame award in 1998, and in 2002, he received the U.S. National Medal of Arts.

Early life

George Jones was born in Saratoga, Texas and raised in nearby Vidor, a few miles outside of Beaumont along with his brother and five sisters. Another sister died young before George was born. He was exposed to music from an early age through his parents' record collection and listening to the gospel music he heard in church. When George was seven, the Jones family bought a radio, which introduced George to the country music that would become his life. The gift of a guitar when Jones was a boy of nine soon saw him playing for tips on the streets of Beaumont.

Jones left home at 16 and headed for Jasper, Texas, where he found work singing and playing on a local radio station, later moving to KRIC in Beaumont. While there he briefly met his idol and greatest musical influence, Hank Williams, who had stopped by the station to promote a performance.

Before he was out of his teens, Jones married his first wife, Dorothy, but their union lasted less than a year. Jones then joined the United States Marine Corps and gained more musical experience singing in bars near his base in California.

Career

After leaving the Marines, Jones married his second wife, Shirley Ann Corley in 1954. He signed with Starday records and had his first hit in 1955: "Why Baby Why." The song, which he had co-written, reached number four on the Billboard country chart. Jones reached number three in 1956, with "Just One More." Moving to the Mercury label, he recorded several rockabilly sides using the moniker "Thumper Jones."

Jones' career really took off in 1959, when his "White Lightning," an up-tempo novelty number about drinking moonshine whiskey, reached number one. Two more number one hits followed in 1961, with "Tender Years" and "She Thinks I Still Care." These ballads displayed Jones' unique use of tonal control to produce an unrivaled expressiveness, establishing him as one of the top talents of the era.

He continued to score hits consistently after switching to Musicor label, often the Top Ten in the mid and late 60s. He also had a number of hit duets singles and albums on various labels with Melba Montgomery, Gene Pitney, and several other artists. In 1967, his ballad, "Walk Through This World With Me" was yet another number one hit.

Did you know?
George Jones and Tammy Wynette recorded many hit duets that made the couple the undisputed king and queen of country music

After divorcing in 1968, Jones married Tammy Wynette the following year, a partnership that led to many more hit duets and made the couple the unquestioned king and queen of country music and a major attraction when they performed together live. Jones followed Wynette to Epic Records, where producer Billy Sherrill further perfected his sound. Their duet "Take Me" reached number nine in 1972. They followed this with the smash hit "We're Gonna Hold On" in 1973, reaching number one together for the first time.

Jones had two more number one hit singles on his own in 1974: "The Grand Tour" and "The Door." Jones' marriage to Wynette ended in 1975, but their singing partnership continued to score successes. Their ironic duet "Golden Ring," detailing several poignant chapters in a failed young marriage, reached number one in 1976. The duo's classic love song, "Near You" did likewise in 1977, despite the paradox of the now divorced couple pledging their undying love in song. Several Jones-Wynette albums of this period were also huge successes.

Despite his identification with ballads and romantic duets, Jones also recorded a number of novelty songs which delighted audiences through the years from his first number one "White Lightning" to "The Race Is On," "Love Bug," the duets "We're Not The Jet Set" and "God's Gonna Getcha For That" with Wynette, and many others.

In 1980, Jones released "He Stopped Loving Her Today," one of his biggest hits. It was honored as best record of the year by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, as well as a Grammy for best male country vocal performance. Jones was named CMA male vocalist of the year in 1980 and 1981.

In 1983, Jones married Nancy Sepulveda, who soon became his manager. In the 80s and 90s, Jones' reputation as a superb duet artist found him recording with such diverse singers as James Taylor, Johnny Paycheck (formerly Jones' singer partner in the "Jones Boys"), Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Brenda Lee, Shelby Lynne, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, and Garth Brooks. The last three of these and many others of the younger generation of male country stars cited Jones as a major influence on their singing styles.

Jones moved to MCA Records in 1991, and in 1992 he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. He soon produced a surprisingly successful video, "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair," as well as a hit album HighTech Redneck. His next offering was an acoustic album, The Bradley Barn Sessions, which also won critical acclaim, followed by a reunion album with Wynette entitled One, which proved that the couple could still both sing well as a couple and sell records together.

Jones career slowed in the later 90s as his drinking and carousing caused hims to miss many performances and solidified his reputation as "No Show Jones." However, his ' 1996 autobiography, I Lived to Tell It All, reached number six on the New York Times bestseller list. After a serious car crash in 1999, Jones released a reflective ballad entitled "Choices," which, while not a major hit, charted well and earned him another Grammy.

Jones has continued to be active in the new millennium, making numerous television appearances and recording the album The Rock: Stone Cold Country in 2001. In 2003, he released The Gospel Collection. His Hits I Missed… And One I Didn't (2005) featured songs Jones declined to record, but which became hits for the other artists, plus his own mega-hit "He Stopped Loving Her Today." In 2006, Jones and Merle Haggard collaborated on Kickin' Out the Footlights … Again.

Personal life

Despite being in his 70s, Jones continued his career as an active recording artist and toured extensively on the North American continent as well as overseas. His other projects included the George Jones "University" which is a twice-yearly training program for those wishing to learn about a career in the music business. Jones was also a partner in Bandit Records. In 2006, he was treated in a hospital for pneumonia but made a full recovery and continued with his touring schedule. The year 2008 marked Jones' fifty-fifth year recording country music.

Jones had two sons with his second wife, Shirley Ann Corley. Jones had one daughter, Georgette, with Tammy Wynette. Georgette Jones, now a published country singer in her own right, has performed on stage with her famous father. He married his fourth wife, Nancy Sepulveda, on March 4, 1983, in Woodville, TX. Jones credited Nancy for rescuing him from drinking, as well as cocaine consumption. He and Nancy owned a diner in Enterprise, Alabama, which is decorated with memorabilia from Jones' long career in the country-music business.

George Jones died early in the morning of April 26, 2013, at the age of 81. He had been hospitalized since April 18, 2013, at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville with fever and irregular blood pressure.

Legacy

Jones' gift of perfectly embodying a song's mood has been a key influence on numerous country artists. Other than his own idol, Hank Williams, he is cited more often by country singers as a major influence than any other artist. His duets with Tammy Wynette and others are among the best ever recorded, and his large catalog of solo albums and singles evidence his unique talent as a vocalist with superb range, control, sensitivity, and power.

His awards include:

  • Inclusion in the Walkway of Stars at the Country Music Hall Of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame, 1970
  • Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "He Stopped Loving Her Today," 1980
  • Induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, 1992
  • The Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music, 1993
  • Grammy Hall of Fame Award, 1998
  • U.S. National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment of the Arts, 2002
  • Ranked number three of the 40 Greatest Men of Country Music, CMT, 2003
  • Kennedy Center Honors, Washington, D.C., 2008.

Discography

Albums


Year Title US Country Billboard 200 Label RIAA
1957 Grand Ole Opry's New Star - - Starday -
1958 Hillbilly Hit Parade - - -
1958 Long Live King George - - -
1959 Country Church Time - - Mercury -
1959 White Lightning and Other Favorites - - -
1960 George Jones Salutes Hank Williams - - -
1962 Songs from the Heart - - -
1962 Sings Country and Western Hits - - -
1962 George Jones Sings Bob Wills - - United Artists -
1962 Homecoming in Heaven - - -
1962 My Favorites of Hank Williams - - -
1963 I Wish Tonight Would Never End - - -
1963 What's in Our Hearts (with Melba Montgomery) 3 - -
1964 A King & Two Queens (with Melba Montgomery and Judy Lynn) - - -
1964 Bluegrass Hootenanny (with Melba Montgomery) 12 - -
1964 George Jones Sings Like The Dickens! 6 - -
1965 Famous Country Duets
(with Gene Pitney and Melba Montgomery)
- - Musicor -
1965 George Jones and Gene Pitney:
For the First Time! Two Great Singers
(with Gene Pitney)
3 141 -
1965 George Jones and Gene Pitney (Recorded in Nashville!) (with Gene Pitney) - - -
1965 Mr. Country & Western Music 13 - -
1965 New Country Hits 5 - -
1965 Old Brush Arbors - - -
1966 Country Heart - - -
1966 I'm a People 1 - -
1966 It's Country Time Again! (with Gene Pitney) 17 - -
1966 Love Bug 7 - -
1966 We Found Heaven Right Here on Earth at "4033" 3 - -
1967 Hits by George 9 - -
1967 Walk Through This World with Me 2 - -
1968 If My Heart Had Windows 12 - -
1968 Sings the Songs of Dallas Frazier 14 - -
1969 I'll Share My World with You 5 185 -
1969 Where Grass Won't Grow 15 - -
1970 Will You Visit Me on Sunday? 44 - -
1971 George Jones with Love 9 - -
1971 George Jones Sings the Great Songs of Leon Payne 26 - -
1971 We Go Together (with Tammy Wynette) 3 169 Epic -
1972 A Picture of Me (Without You) 3 - -
1972 George Jones (We Can Make It) 10 - -
1972 Me and the First Lady (with Tammy Wynette) 6 - -
1972 We Love to Sing About Jesus (with Tammy Wynette) 38 - -
1973 Let's Build a World Together (with Tammy Wynette) 12 - -
1973 Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half as Bad as Losing You) 12 - -
1973 We're Gonna Hold On (with Tammy Wynette) 3 - -
1974 In a Gospel Way 42 - -
1974 The Grand Tour 11 - -
1975 George & Tammy & Tina (with Tammy Wynette) 37 - -
1975 Memories of Us 43 - -
1976 Alone Again 9 - -
1976 Golden Ring (with Tammy Wynette) 1 - -
1976 The Battle 36 - -
1978 Bartender's Blues 34 - -
1979 My Very Special Guests (with various artists) 38 - -
1980 Double Trouble (with Johnny Paycheck) 45 - -
1980 I Am What I Am 7 132 Platinum
1981 Together Again (with Tammy Wynette) 26 - -
1981 Still the Same Ole Me 3 115 Gold
1982 A Taste of Yesterday's Wine (with Merle Haggard) - 123 -
1982 Anniversary - 10 Years Of Hits 16 - Gold
1983 Jones Country 27 - -
1983 Shine On 7 - -
1984 You've Still Got a Place in My Heart 17 - -
1984 Ladies' Choice 25 - -
1984 By Request 33 - -
1984 First Time Live 45 - -
1985 Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes? 6 - -
1986 Wine Colored Roses 5 - Gold
1987 Too Wild Too Long 14 - -
1987 Super Hits 26 - 2× Multi-Platinum
1989 One Woman Man 13 - -
1990 You Oughta Be Here with Me 35 - -
1991 Friends in High Places 72 - -
1991 And Along Came Jones 22 148 MCA -
1992 Walls Can Fall 24 77 Gold
1993 High Tech Redneck 30 124 Gold
1993 Super Hits, Volume 2 - - Epic -
1994 Bradley Barn Sessions (with various artists) 23 142 MCA -
1995 George and Tammy Super Hits (with Tammy Wynette) - - Epic Gold
1995 One (with Tammy Wynette) 12 117 MCA -
1996 I Lived to Tell It All 26 171 -
1998 It Don't Get Any Better Than This 37 - -
1998 16 Biggest Hits 50 - Epic Gold
1999 Cold Hard Truth 5 53 Asylum Gold
1999 Live With the Possum 72 - -
2001 The Rock: Stone Cold Country 2001 5 65 Bandit -
2003 The Gospel Collection 19 131 -
2004 50 Years Of Hits 20 118 Gold
2005 Hits I Missed…And One I Didn't 13 79 -
2006 God's Country: George Jones and Friends (with various artists) 58 - Category 5 -
2006 Kicking Out the Footlights...Again (with Merle Haggard) 25 119 Bandit -
2008 Burn Your Playhouse Down - The Unreleased Duets 15 79 -
2009 A Collection of My Best Recollection 22 88 Cracker Barrel -
2010 The Great Lost Hits 52 - Time Life -
2011 Hits 39 - Bandit -

Fourteen number-1 U.S. Country Hits

  1. "White Lightning" (1959)
  2. "Tender Years" (1961)
  3. "She Thinks I Still Care" (1962)
  4. "Walk Through This World With Me" (1967)
  5. "We're Gonna Hold On" (with Tammy Wynette) (1973)
  6. "The Grand Tour" (1974)
  7. "The Door" (1975)
  8. "Golden Ring" (with Tammy Wynette) (1976)
  9. "Near You" (with Tammy Wynette) (1977)
  10. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" (1980)
  11. "(I Was Country) When Country Wasn't Cool" (with Barbara Mandrell) (1981)
  12. "Still Doin' Time" (1981)
  13. "Yesterday's Wine" (with Merle Haggard) (1982)
  14. "I Always Get Lucky With You" (1983)

See also

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Dawidoff, Nicholas. In The Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music. New York: Vintage Books, 1998, ISBN 0-375-70082-X.
  • Jones, George, with Carter, Tom. I Lived to Tell it All. New York: Dell Publishing, 1997, ISBN 0-440-22373-3.
  • Malone, Bill C. Country Music U.S.A.. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1985, ISBN 0-292-71096-8.

External links

All links retrieved June 15, 2017.

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