George Jones (1931 -2013)

George Glenn Jones was born in 1931, in Saratoga, Texas.    He was the son of a shipyard worker, who liked to play music, and his mother played the organ in church. His father was a heavy drinker and was often abusive to his wife and children.   At 16, he left home and went to work at a radio station in Jasper, Texas.
He next did a hitch in the US marines, in the early 1950s, and on leaving, he married his second wife, and began his recording career.  He met Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash who became a lifelong friend.  He acquired the nickname “Possum” because of a fancied resemblance to possums.  

George was one of the most wonderful interpretative singers in country music.  He wrote many of his own songs but he could put his “mark” on any song that he undertook to sing.  His voice was beautifully expressive and he was perfect at singing “love and pain” songs, like the big country weepie “He stopped loving her today”.  He toured with the Jones Boys, many of whom were very talented musicians in their own right.

His most famous marriage was to Tammy Wynnette, another very well-known singer.  Their marriage was stormy and ended in divorce… George had alcohol and drug problems and was a very wild man, at times.  His drinking and erratic behaviour began to affect his health.  He and Tammy had one child, Tamala and soon after her birth, he was committed to a padded cell, to recover from a serious drinking bout.
 When he and Tammy divorced, she accused him of shooting at her.  He was such a heavy drinker that he frequently didn’t turn up at concerts or was too drunk to perform well and he got the nickname of “No Show Jones”.
In the late 70s he took to using cocaine as well, and he became increasingly incoherent and ill. Friends like Johnny Cash helped him financially – he had declared bankruptcy - and he tried to give up drink and drugs, but with limited success.  When sober -he was shy and friendly but when he was drunk, he could be impossible.  But when he overcame his nerves sufficiently to do a good live show, he was a wonderful performer and the crowds loved him.  His fans ranged from grandparents to kids.
In the 1980’s he met and married Nancy Sepulvado, a 34-year-old divorcée.  She helped him to clean up and give up drinking, and as he became more settled in his life he began to include a humorous song “No Show Jones” in his repertoire, making fun of his tendency to not turn up…It lists the nicknames or well-known traits of all the big country singers, such as Loretta Lynn, the Coal Miner’s daughter, Kenny Rogers being the Gambler. Johnny is the Man in Black…. And George is only known as “No Show Jones.”   He performed the song with Merle Haggard, or with Ron Gaddis of the Jones Boys.   Another novelty song of that era was his “I don’t Need no Rocking Chair.”  He had a huge hit with “He Stopped Loving her today” which helped his finances.

He was ashamed of his “no shows” and disappointing his fans and tired to make up for this by playing free shows.  He remained sober most of the 1980s and had an occasional lapse in later years.  His health grew poorer, and in 2012 after an illness, he announced his farewell tour. Towards the end of April 2013, he became ill again and died of respiratory failure, at the age of 81.   He is greatly missed.