Posted on 04/26/2013 7:19:11 AM PDT by diverteach
George Jones ... the country music megastar whose heartfelt vocals and close-to-home lyrics defined the genre for generations ... died today. He was 81.
Jones was hospitalized in Nashville Thursday for a fever and irregular blood pressure, though the cause of death was not immediately released.
Jones was in the middle of a tour -- it was supposed to be his last -- when he fell ill. Several dates had already been canceled.
Jones' towering influence on country music was equaled only by his public persona ... which often imitated the melodrama in his songs ... and was well-chronicled in the tabloids. He was married four times -- once to Tammy Wynette -- and made countless headlines for drinking, stormy romances and violent rages.
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A good song and a fair question.
George Jones was still putting out records, and so is Merle Haggard, David Allan Coe (and he’s sick) and a few other old-timers. But I commented to my wife not long ago that pretty soon, there won’t be anyone left making country music. And that will be a sad day.
We moved a little closer to that day today.
His tour bus struck and killed my father back in 1987, in Jacksonville NC.
Can’t say I much cared for him after that, but I give credit where it’s due for his ability to sing.
on his supposed last tour, damn. God bless and RIP George. Fate is a path no one chooses willingly but we all must endure. he left with a song on his tongue and a smile on his lips.. and left more than a few behind.
I should have read the thread first, sorry for the loss of your father so tragically. Hank will always be ‘country’ to me, personally.
The Old School Country/Bluegrass artist are fading away fast :>{
The “Momma Song” for example.
Evidently, his real name was Jack Smith, and he wanted his stage name to sound unique.
“Today the world lost the greatest country music singer that ever lived. Amen” ~ Merle Haggard
I second ole Merle. RIP Mr. Jones. The angel band has a new lead singer.
My dad taught me some songs when I was a kid that I later learned to play. Foggy River, The old apple tree in the orchard, and I’m going back to where I come from. Most were 1940’s and earlier soungs his uncle taught him to play. Ricky Skaggs put out an album with Foggy River on it and kept it basic and origional.
DH is a HUGE fan and plays George Jones in the garage all the time — when I told him GJ had died he said he thought the Old Possum had been dead for years what with his hard living.
Bon’s favorite song: Wine Colored Roses.
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