Beloved country singer George Jones passed away this morning after a long battle with lung problems at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He was eighty-one-years-old, and he will be remembered in equal measure for his incredible voice, his relatable songs and his ridiculous personal life.
Married four times, Jones battled alcoholism and cocaine abuse for long stretches of his life. Two separate ex-wives, including Tammy Wynette, have both told stories of him riding lawn mowers several miles to get drunk after they’d taken his keys. During that same period, Jones missed so many concerts he earned the nickname “No Show Jones”, but despite it all, he continued to crank out hits at a rate country music had never and perhaps will never see. Over the course of his life, he charted more than one hundred and fifty times including with the classic song “He Stopped Loving Her Today”, which might be the single saddest song ever written.
Here’s what Jones’ publicist had to say, as per TMZ…
"Today is a sad day for music. George said to me once, 'One day I'll Join the Angel band.' Well, today he did."
For the last decade plus of his life, Jones was sober and in an extremely good place with his wife Nancy Sepulvado, who he married all the way back in 1984. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992. He won a Lifetime Grammy Award in 2008, and he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry all the way back in 1956.
Pop Blend’s sincerest thoughts go out to Jones’ entire family, as well as all those touched by his music. He lived an absolutely crazy life, but amidst all the madness, he gave the world a ton of beauty. His legend will live on for generations to come.
