Country Music Hall of Fame
-- inducted 1992

George Jones is one of the greatest of honky tonk singers, but he has also been a victim of its lifestyle. He learned guitar in his youth, and in 1947, was hired by the husband-and-wife duo Eddie And Pearl. This developed into his own radio program and a fellow disc jockey, noting his close-set eyes and upturned nose, nicknamed him "The Possum."

He married at 18 but the couple separated within a year. Jones joined the marines in 1950 and, after being discharged in November 1953, was signed by Pappy Daily to the new Starday label. He had his first country hit in 1955 with "Why Baby Why," a pop hit for Pat Boone. He recorded some rockabilly tracks including "Rock It," which Daily released under the name of Thumper Jones. Jones has so strongly disassociated himself from these recordings that he is apt to destroy any copies that he sees. Daily also leased cover versions of well-known songs by Jones and other performers, including Sleepy La Beef, to others for budget recordings. Jones' work, for example, was issued under the pseudonyms of Johnny Williams, Hank Davis and Glen Patterson, but collectors should bear in mind that these names were also used for other performers.

In 1959 he had his first country number 1 with "White Lightning," written by his friend the Big Bopper. The single made number 73 on the US Top 100 and, despite numerous country hits, it remains his biggest pop hit, perhaps because his voice is too country for pop listeners. Jones' second US country number 1 was with the sensitive "Tender Years," which held the top spot for seven weeks.

He demonstrated his writing skills on "The Window Up Above," which was subsequently a hit for Mickey Gilley, and "Seasons Of My Heart," recorded by both Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. He recorded incredibly poignant country music with "She Thinks I Still Care" and "You Comb Her Hair," as well as the up-tempo fun of "Who Shot Sam?".

The American public kept up with the Joneses for "The Race Is On," but Jack Jones was the winner in the charts. George Jones recorded prolifically for the Musicor label, although most of his numerous albums are less than 30 minutes long. He recorded successful duets with other performers - Gene Pitney ("I've Got Five Dollars And It's Saturday Night") and Melba Montgomery ("We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds"). In 1970 he recorded the original version of "A Good Year For The Roses," later a hit for Elvis Costello, and "Tell Me My Lying Eyes Are Wrong," a concert favorite for Dr. Hook.

His stormy marriage to Tammy Wynette (1969-75) included duet albums of lovey-dovey songs and bitter recriminations. A solo success, "The Grand Tour," is a room-by-room account of what went wrong. His behavior (beating Wynette, shooting at friends, missing concerts) is largely attributable to his drinking. An album of superstar duets was hampered when he missed the sessions and had to add his voice later. His partners included Elvis Costello ("Stranger In The House"), James Taylor ("Bartender's Blues") and Willie Nelson ("I Gotta Get Drunk"). His album with Johnny Paycheck is a collection of rock 'n' roll classics.

By the late 70s, his drinking and cocaine addiction had made him so unreliable that he was known as "No Show Jones," although a song he recorded about it suggested he was proud of the name. When he did appear, he sometimes used Donald Duck's voice instead of his own. In 1979 he received medical treatment, and, with support from the music industry, staged a significant comeback with "I Am What I Am," which included his greatest single, "He Stopped Loving Her Today," and a further duet album with Wynette.

Further trouble ensued when he beat up another fiancée, but a divorcee, Nancy Sepulveda, tolerated his mistreatment and married him in 1983. Jones' behavior has improved in recent years, although, as he would have it, "If you're going to sing a country song, you've got to have lived it yourself." In short, George Jones' major asset is his remarkable voice, which can make a drama out of the most mundane lyrics (James O'Gwynn recorded a tribute "If I Could Sing A Country Song (Exactly Like George Jones)").

Jones has had more records (almost 150) in the US country charts than any other performer to date. He has had 450 albums released in the USA and UK alone.

His first MCA album, "And Along Came Jones," included a tribute to his deceased mother. In 1995 he renewed his artistic partnership with ex-wife Wynette for "One." It was as good as anything they had made together, and included an affectionate nod to new country artists: "I've even heard a few/that sound like me and you".

George Jones albums now show more consistency. He is still regarded by many as the world's leading honky-tonk singer. In April 1996 he released his autobiography, "I Lived To Tell It All," which was soon followed by a new album of the same title. Two years later he released "It Don't Get Any Better Than This," one of his most assured and satisfying albums. His career was interrupted yet again, this time by a near fatal car crash, but the following year he released "The Cold Hard Truth."

Awards include --

	1999	Grammy	Best Male Country Vocal Performance
	1998	CMA	Vocal Event of the Year
	1998	Grammy	Hall Of Fame Awards
	1995	TNN/Music City News	Vocal Collaboration of the Year
	1993	CMA	Vocal Event of the Year
	1987	Music City News	Living Legend
	1986	CMA	Music Video of the Year
	1981	CMA	Male Vocalist of the Year
	1981	Music City News Country	Single of the Year
	1980	Academy of Country Music	Single of the Year
	1980	Academy of Country Music	Song of the Year
	1980	Academy of Country Music	Top Male Vocalist
	1980	CMA	Male Vocalist of the Year
	1980	CMA	Single of the Year
	1980	Grammy	Best Male Country Vocal Performance

Hit songs include --

• Golden Ring
• He Stopped Loving Her Today
• I Always Get Lucky With You
• Near You
• She Thinks I Still Care
• Still Doin' Time
• Tender Years
• Walk Through This World With Me
• We're Gonna Hold On
• White Lightning
• Yesterday's Wine
• The Door
• The Grand Tour
• I'll Share My World With You
• I'm Not Ready Yet
• Loving You Could Never Be Better
• She's My Rock

George Jones may be available for your next special event!

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