GEORGE JONES

'George Glenn Jones' (born September 12, 1931), is an American country music artist known for his distinctive voice and phrasing that frequently evoke the raw emotions caused by grief, unhappy love, and emotional hardship. He has had more songs than any other singer on the country charts – 167 as of November, 2005. He has also had the most Top 40 Hits – 143 – and is second to Eddy Arnold with the most Top 10 Hits – 78. Over the past twenty years, Jones has frequently been referred to as "the greatest living country singer"^[1] and "the Rolls-Royce of country singers." Frank Sinatra once called him "the second best white male 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." He currently lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife, Nancy Jones. Also in a separate house on his property live Sherry Hohimer, his step-daughter. Sherry's husband, Kirk, helps George Jones with concert setup. Sherry and Kirks kids,(George's grandkids) live on his property. Their names are Carlos and Breann Hohimer.^[2]

Today

2005

George Jones is still touring. On February 15 Jones attended the service for late country music singer-songwriter Merle Kilgore along with Hank Williams, Jr., Kenny Chesney, and Brooks & Dunn's Kix Brooks.
On April 8 Jones along with Country Music Hall of Fame members Eddy Arnold and Carl Smith were pallbearers at country music pioneer Don Pierce's funeral services.
Garth Brooks popped the question to country singer Trisha Yearwood on May 25 at Buck Owens' Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California. Jones, Merle Haggard, and Buck Owens were also there.
Jones's ''My Very Special Guests'', a 1979 album of duets, was reissued on May 31 by Columbia/Legacy with 27 additional tracks.
Jones, Bill Anderson, and Little Jimmy Dickens were featured on Brad Paisley's album ''Time Well Wasted'', released on August 16.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has added Jones's "He Stopped Loving Her Today" to one of its "song spiral" displays. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of its release, visitors can step inside the listening booth and hear the whole track, which was produced by Billy Sherrill and written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman.
Jones hosted a September 1 breakfast buffet at his home near Franklin, Tennessee, for members of the Nashville news media. Reporters were invited to look through his country music memorabilia, photo collection and collection of stage costumes. In addition to an omelet station, Jones served sausage and bacon from his own line of breakfast foods. This was for his upcoming 2005 album ''Hits I Missed...And One I Didn't''.
On September 13 Jones' released ''Hits I Missed...And One I Didn't'' was released on his label Bandit Records.
In late September CMT did an interview with Jones called 20 Questions. It can be read here
In October Jones's ''50 Years of Hits'' was certified gold by the RIAA
An exhibit, titled ''The Grand Tour: George Jones Country'' was open at the Country Music Hall of Fame on December 2 and ran through May 2006.
On December 8 Jones was nomineed for a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance
(for a solo vocal performance) for the song "Funny How Time Slips Aways" (written by Willie Nelson) the awards show aired on February 8, 2006 but Jones lost to pop singer Keith Urban.
In late December CMT named Jones' 2005 album ''Hits I Missed...And One I Didn't'' one of their Top 10 Country Albums of 2005.

2006

On January 13 and January 14 Country Stars and NASCAR Drivers unite for fan event called "Sound and Speed" in downtown Nashville, Tennessee for the very first time. NASCAR legend Richard Petty and Country music legend George Jones teamed on January 14 for an insightful Q&A at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Country music new commer Jamey Johnson features Jones on the song, "Keeping Up with the Jonesin" on his debut album ''The Dollar'', which was released on January 31, 2006.
Jones and Lucinda Williams performed together two shows in California. They played the Paramount Theatre in Oakland on February 25 and Santa Barbara on February 27.
Jones was honored by his hometown of Beaumont, Texas, on March 24, by pressing his boots into a wet cement slab that will be placed on display in front of the city's Ford Arena. Jones was in town for a concert with Merle Haggard, who also attended the ceremony. Jones is the seventh southeast Texas native to be honored in Ford Park's Walk of Fame. Other inductees include Tracy Byrd, Janis Joplin, Clay Walker, and Edgar Winter.
Jones was hospitalized March 30 afternoon at Baptist Hospital in Nashville for pneumonia. Jones made a full recovery despite rescheduling a few tour dates.
The Grascals 2006 album ''Long List of Heartaches'' featured Jones. Their album was released on August 29.
In Fall 2006, Jones and wife Nancy are planning to open a Southern-style restaurant named Possum Holler in downtown Enterprise, Alabama. The eatery will seat 250 people and will be decorated with Jones's career memorabilia.
Jerry Lee Lewis's 2006 album of all-star duets, ''Last Man Standing'', featured Jones and many other artists. This album was released September 26, 2006.
Jones took part in an all-star album called ''Songs of the Year'', released on October 3 at Cracker Barrel restaurants and the company's website.
Jones broke his right wrist October 20 in a fall at his producer's studio in Nashville. He underwent surgery on October 23 after breaking his right wrist October 20 in a fall at his producer's studio in Nashville. A spokesperson for Jones said the 75-year-old entertainer was treated at Nashville's Baptist Hospital where he also underwent a CAT scan to check for a possible concussion, but the scan showed no head injury. Due to this injury Jones had to postpone a few tour dates.
On October 24 Jones and friend as well as country music legend Merle Haggard released their first album together in 26 years called ''Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again'' on Jones's Bandit Records.
Jones and special guest Kris Kristofferson performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City on October 31. Jones last played the famous venue in 1962 when he appeared with Johnny Cash, Mother Maybelle and the Carter Family, and Tompall and the Glaser Brothers. "I think we were one of the first, if not first, country shows to go in there. ... We had a great time. The place was packed and sold out," Jones said.
''All Gone Fishin' is an all-star album about fishing and fisherman that featured Jones and many other artists. This album was released on November 14 on Jones's Bandit Records. This album is at all Bass Pro Shops and Wal-Mart. All selections on the album were newly produced.
Jones was one of several country artists that testified on December 11 at an FCC hearing in Nashville. The hearing, one of six such regional affairs scheduled around the U.S., is exploring the subject of media ownership.

2007

In January the Grammy Hall of Fame honored Jones by inducting his 1980 hit, "He Stopped Loving Her Today" into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
In January, Jones, along with music industry executives Tandy Rice and Matthew Wilkes, opened George Jones University^[3].
Charlie Louvin, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, released a self-titled album of duets on the Tompkins Square label on February 20. His singing partners include Jones, Bobby Bare, Elvis Costello, Tom T. Hall, and many others.
Brenda Lee released her latest album titled ''Gospel Duets With Treasured Friends'' on April 10 via the Provident Label Group. Guests include Jones, Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels, and others.
On June 15 the mayor of Corpus Christi, Texas Henry Garrett a longtime George Jones fan gave Jones the key to the city and declared June 16 as George Jones Day in Corpus Christi. [1]
Jones is back in the studio working on a new studio album. The album is to include a duet with country legend and good friend of Jones' Tanya Tucker.
2007 marks Jones's 52nd year in country music as well as his 38th year at the Grand Ole Opry.

Drinking and Drug Abuse

Jones' alcohol consumption was legendary. For a great part of his life he woke up to a Screwdriver and spent the rest of the day drinking bourbon.
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.

:

^[4]

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.

About 1 am 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.
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.'^[5]

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, 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.
Poking fun at his past, two country music videos would feature Jones arriving on a riding lawn mower. The first was Hank Williams, Jr's "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" in 1984 while the second was 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." 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 in front of him, would reply back to Gill "Hey sweetpea."

Marriages

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. He married his current wife, Nancy Sepulvedo, on March 4, 1983 in Woodville, TX. Sepulvedo also became his manager. Jones credits Nancy for rescuing him from drinking, as well as cocaine consumption. The couple currently live in Franklin, TN.

Spouses

★ Nancy Sepulvedo (March 4, 1983 – Present)

★ Tammy Wynette (February 16, 1969 – 1975) (divorced) 1 child

★ Shirley Ann Corley (September 14, 1954 – June 11, 1968) (divorced) 2 children

★ Dorothy Bonvillion (1950 – 1951) (divorced) 1 child

Awards & Discography

''See main article George Jones Awards & Discography''

Trivia

★ Jones is known as "No-Show Jones" as a result of his missing many performances during his days of drug and alcohol abuse.

★ Jones has had more individual songs than any other singer on the country charts, 167 as of November 2005. He has had the most Top 40 Hits, 143. He is second to Eddy Arnold for the most Top 10 Hits, 78.

★ According to a formula derived by Joel Whitburn, Jones is second to Eddy Arnold in his overall ranking for hits and their time on the charts.

★ Jones has had four wives and was married twice before he was 24.

★ Johnny Cash once stated "When people ask me who my favorite country singer is I say 'You mean besides George Jones?'"

★ Jones was married to Tammy Wynette from 1969 until 1975

★ Frank Sinatra once called Jones “the second best white male singer.”

★ Jones’ 1980 hit, "He Stopped Loving Her Today", is considered by many to be the greatest country song of all time.

★ He sings a duet with Harry Connick, Jr. called "Nothing New for New Year", on Connick's album ''Harry for the Holidays'' (2003).

★ Jones has written or co-written many songs, such as "The Window Up Above," "Life to Go," "These Days (I Barely Get By)" (co-written with Tammy Wynette), "What My Woman Can't Do (Can't Be Done)," "A Drunk Can't Be A Man," "That's All It Took" (recorded by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris), "Why Baby Why," "We're Gonna Hold On," and "My Favorite Lies."

★ George Jones met and played with Hank Williams when Williams appeared on a Beaumont, Texas radio station where Jones worked in the early fifties. Jones had been asked to back Hank on the electric guitar during a live radio performance. Jones has often recalled that he practiced intensely but when Hank kicked off the song he was so awestruck that he didn't hit one note during the entire performance.

★ Jones has recorded with many other artists over the years, including duets with Gene Pitney, Johnny Paycheck, Merle Haggard, Melba Montgomery, Tammy Wynette, Randy Travis, Lacy J. Dalton, the Staples Singers, Mark Knopfler, Alan Jackson, Linda Ronstadt, Ricky Skaggs, and Dr. Hook.

★ Waylon Jennings once said "If we could all sing like we wanted to, we'd all sound like George Jones."

★ Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones is an avid George Jones fan and got to record "Say It's Not You" with Jones during the Bradley Barn Sessions.

★ Many artists from various genres of music have claimed to be George Jones fans, including Elvis Costello (who recorded with Jones on his ''My Very Special Guests'' LP), Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Frank Sinatra, Mick Jagger, Gram Parsons, Kid Rock and John Fogerty.

★ His wife, Nancy, unexpectedly had to accept his 1993 Country Music Association award because he was inconveniently disposed in the restroom at the time.

★ While experimenting as a rockabilly singer during the fifties, Jones went by the name "Thumper Jones."

★ Father of country music artist Georgette Jones.

★ George Jones appears on The Grascals's second album, Long List of Heartaches, on the song "Don't Tell Mamma".

Notes

1. http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/jones_george/bio.jhtml
2. ''Country Music U.S.A'', Bill C. Malone, page 288
3. http://www.georgejonesuniversity.com
4. Jones, George. (1996). ''I Lived to Tell It All.'' New York: Dell Publishing Company
5. Wynette, Tammy; Wynette, Dew and Wynette, Joan, "Stand By Your Man," 1979, New York: Simon and Schuster

External links

★ Official Website

★ Official MySpace

★ George Jones Country Sausage

★ Record Label

★ at the Country Music Hall of Fame

★ at the Grand Ole Opry

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GEORGE JONES

Today

2005

2006

2007

Drinking and Drug Abuse

Marriages

Spouses

Awards & Discography

Trivia

Further reading and Reference

Notes

See also

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