He Stopped Loving Her Today and George Jones
Without Prejudice
George Jones is often cited as the greatest country singer of all time. His rendition of the song,
He Stopped Loving Her Today is simply the best country sing of all time. Along with his duet with Alan Jackson,
It's Been A Good Year For The Roses,
Alan sang it at George's funeral in tribute.
I love both as they are two of my favourite Country songs and both feature a Hawaiian Guitar. A pedestal guitar played with a "steel", just like my Dads. Although Dad played a 24 string Hawaiian guitar not just an 8. My Dads Hawaiian guitar was just as much a part of him as his right arm, his blood, his mind, and was his muse, his form of expression.
I have never seen a guitar like it. The most strings I have ever been able to find was sixteen only, not 24. He stood behind it and made it sing, sliding the steel up and down, making it weep or resonate like a bell, clear and beautiful. His foot would tap with the beat and when things weren't going right he would stamp on the floor.
He was big on big band music like Glenn Miller and loved Country music.
Take Theses Chains by Ray Charles, In The Mood by Glenn Miller, The Green Grass Of Home by Tom Jones were just some on his playlist.
He was more a Merle Haggard fan than a George Jones fan, but that was mainly because George Jones wasnt around for a long time until in 1980 he resurrected his career, with He Stopped Living Her Today. His career by that time had almost disappeared due to a long time problem with alcohol and cocaine.
George was a legendary drunk, once driving the ride on lawn mower to the local bar, eight miles away. His wife at the time hiding the keys to all the cars as she knew he wouldn't walk the distance. But he saw the ride on mower sitting on the side of the hill near his house and thought he'd give that a whirl.
When his wife realised he was missing, she headed for the nearest bar. George simply said to his drinking buddies,
"Told you she'd find me "
He was married four times, once to Tammy Wynette, and even after they divorced they would still entertain the crowds together. Tammy was married to another man when George found himself on the same Playbills as Tammy. One night he went home with the couple and when Tammys husband called her a Son Of A Bitch, George upended the table over him and declared his live for Tammy. They were then married shortly after.
George's father was also an alcoholic and often when enebriated would beat his wife and kids. George said it only ever happened when his Father was drunk. When he was sober he was a quiet almost shy man. George said he was also the hardest working man he ever met.
George often performed drunk and you could see it in his over shiny eyes, so he took to wearing tinted glasses. He was also legendary for missing performances, giving rise to the nickname
"No Show George" . But that nickname applied to a lot of country artists at the time. The drink grabbing hold of a lot of them, or amphetamines.
He was most successful in treating his addiction when married to his fourth wife, she was a non drinker. He then went on to perform in a lot of concerts for no fee, his wish was to pay back the promoters he had let down with his no shows.
He died aged 81 with an enormous body of work behind him. He was funny and self deprecating and simply a humble man and fierce in his defence of Country Music. His love of his chosen Music drove him on to success. He was uncertain about his fame that came from it and not sure he was worthy enough to receive it. He was often plagued with self doubt. But his voice was his instrument and became stronger and better over the years rather than weaker.
He had a thinner reedier voice when he first began his singing career, but it mellowed as the years passed. His delivery on What A Good Year For The Roses with Alan Jackson is simply superb. A simple song, sung simply with no embellishment. And the Hawaiian guitar sliding in the mid section adds to the sad mournful story. A story in song of a mans inability to recognise something important has happened, his wife has left him.
So he sings in denial of reality, uttering the trite phrases of,
It's Been A Good Year For Roses,
The Lawn Could Stand Another Mowing.
As his world falls down around him.
She has even left him with the baby.
Elvis Costello did a great remake of it, later in the eighties.
George Jones left a huge legacy of song and memory to the world.
When asked who he thought was the best singer in the world, Johnny Cash replied,
"You mean, apart from George Jones ? "
George Jones is often cited as the greatest country singer of all time. His rendition of the song,
He Stopped Loving Her Today is simply the best country sing of all time. Along with his duet with Alan Jackson,
It's Been A Good Year For The Roses,
Alan sang it at George's funeral in tribute.
I love both as they are two of my favourite Country songs and both feature a Hawaiian Guitar. A pedestal guitar played with a "steel", just like my Dads. Although Dad played a 24 string Hawaiian guitar not just an 8. My Dads Hawaiian guitar was just as much a part of him as his right arm, his blood, his mind, and was his muse, his form of expression.
I have never seen a guitar like it. The most strings I have ever been able to find was sixteen only, not 24. He stood behind it and made it sing, sliding the steel up and down, making it weep or resonate like a bell, clear and beautiful. His foot would tap with the beat and when things weren't going right he would stamp on the floor.
He was big on big band music like Glenn Miller and loved Country music.
Take Theses Chains by Ray Charles, In The Mood by Glenn Miller, The Green Grass Of Home by Tom Jones were just some on his playlist.
He was more a Merle Haggard fan than a George Jones fan, but that was mainly because George Jones wasnt around for a long time until in 1980 he resurrected his career, with He Stopped Living Her Today. His career by that time had almost disappeared due to a long time problem with alcohol and cocaine.
George was a legendary drunk, once driving the ride on lawn mower to the local bar, eight miles away. His wife at the time hiding the keys to all the cars as she knew he wouldn't walk the distance. But he saw the ride on mower sitting on the side of the hill near his house and thought he'd give that a whirl.
When his wife realised he was missing, she headed for the nearest bar. George simply said to his drinking buddies,
"Told you she'd find me "
He was married four times, once to Tammy Wynette, and even after they divorced they would still entertain the crowds together. Tammy was married to another man when George found himself on the same Playbills as Tammy. One night he went home with the couple and when Tammys husband called her a Son Of A Bitch, George upended the table over him and declared his live for Tammy. They were then married shortly after.
George's father was also an alcoholic and often when enebriated would beat his wife and kids. George said it only ever happened when his Father was drunk. When he was sober he was a quiet almost shy man. George said he was also the hardest working man he ever met.
George often performed drunk and you could see it in his over shiny eyes, so he took to wearing tinted glasses. He was also legendary for missing performances, giving rise to the nickname
"No Show George" . But that nickname applied to a lot of country artists at the time. The drink grabbing hold of a lot of them, or amphetamines.
He was most successful in treating his addiction when married to his fourth wife, she was a non drinker. He then went on to perform in a lot of concerts for no fee, his wish was to pay back the promoters he had let down with his no shows.
He died aged 81 with an enormous body of work behind him. He was funny and self deprecating and simply a humble man and fierce in his defence of Country Music. His love of his chosen Music drove him on to success. He was uncertain about his fame that came from it and not sure he was worthy enough to receive it. He was often plagued with self doubt. But his voice was his instrument and became stronger and better over the years rather than weaker.
He had a thinner reedier voice when he first began his singing career, but it mellowed as the years passed. His delivery on What A Good Year For The Roses with Alan Jackson is simply superb. A simple song, sung simply with no embellishment. And the Hawaiian guitar sliding in the mid section adds to the sad mournful story. A story in song of a mans inability to recognise something important has happened, his wife has left him.
So he sings in denial of reality, uttering the trite phrases of,
It's Been A Good Year For Roses,
The Lawn Could Stand Another Mowing.
As his world falls down around him.
She has even left him with the baby.
Elvis Costello did a great remake of it, later in the eighties.
George Jones left a huge legacy of song and memory to the world.
When asked who he thought was the best singer in the world, Johnny Cash replied,
"You mean, apart from George Jones ? "
