Born 95 Years Ago in Texas, the Complicated Man Who Became the Greatest Country Singer of All Time

On this day (September 12) in 1931, George Jones was born in Saratoga, Texas. His career included more than three decades of hit songs. His 1980 comeback single, “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” has been listed among the greatest country songs in history countless times. Jones has been considered the genre’s greatest vocalist for decades. This distinction comes partially from his uncanny ability to make listeners feel and believe the pain in the sad songs he recorded. Unfortunately, he could share the heartache so vividly because he lived it.

Jones was heavily influenced by a trio of legendary vocalists–Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, and Roy Acuff. He wears those influences on his sleeve in his early recordings for Starday Records. In fact, he seems to be doing his best Frizzell impression in his self-penned debut single, “No Money in This Deal.” Listen to it beside Frizzell’s “If You’ve Got the Money (I’ve Got the Time),” and the similarities become crystal clear. That’s not to say he delivered a poor performance on the recording. For those who are familiar with his later work, it doesn’t sound like him.

Jones recalled his first recording session in an interview with NPR. After he recorded a few songs, producer and Starday co-owner Pappy Daily stepped into the makeshift recording booth. “George, I’ve heard you sing like Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, and Lefty Frizzell. I just want to know one thing. Can you sing like George Jones?” The future legend replied, “I thought you wanted to sell some records.”

George Jones Finds His Voice

George Jones recorded his first few singles in makeshift home studios in living rooms and on porches. Eventually, he found his voice. That wasn’t enough, though. He was still limited by Starday’s nonexistent budget and small distribution range. Finally, in 1955, he traveled to Gold Star Studios in Houston, Texas, to cut a few songs. One of those was “Why Baby Why,” his first charting single. It peaked at No. 4.

Jones made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 1956 and moved to Mercury Records in 1957. He released his first No. 1 single, “White Lightning,” in 1959. Then, in the mid-60s, his career took off. His songs were consistently landing in the top 10. This trend continued into the middle of the following decade.

Tastes change, but Jones’ style did not. As a result, his chart success began to dwindle. Then, in 1980, he breathed new life into his career with “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” He followed that instant classic with a string of hits that stretched well into the middle of the decade. His final top 10 hit came in 1988 with “I’m a One Woman Man,” 33 years after his first.

Things Weren’t All Sunshine and Rainbows

George Jones topped the country chart 13 times. He also took home a trophy case full of ACM, CMA, and Grammy awards. Moreover, he was beloved by millions of fans and inspired generations of artists. Behind the scenes, though, he was a complicated man.

It’s honestly surprising that he chose to be a singer. He found his talent early, and so did his abusive, alcoholic father. He would come home drunk in the middle of the night with a handful of friends, wake the young Jones up, and force him to sing for them. His father’s behavior didn’t keep him away from the bottle, either.

Jones’ drinking was nearly as legendary as his discography. There’s the story of him driving a lawn tractor to the liquor store because his wife hid the keys to their cars. In the late 1970s and early ’80s, he earned the nickname No-Show Jones because he missed so many concerts due to his constant alcohol and substance abuse.

Jones allegedly didn’t just abuse substances, though. Three of his four marriages ended in divorce. Notably, his six-year marriage to Tammy Wynette was turbulent, to say the least. She alleged that he once chased her through their house with a loaded rifle. Jones denied that claim. No matter what the truth of that story is, his actions led to Wynette filing for divorce twice. She filed the first time as a wake-up call. It didn’t work, and she wasn’t bluffing the second time.

George Jones Returns

As the Country Music Hall of Fame points out, George Jones married his fourth wife, Nancy Sepulvado in 1983. This marked the beginning of his gradual rehabilitation. He got sober, signed a new record deal, and continued recording great music with younger artists. For instance, he and Patty Loveless won Vocal Event of the Year at the CMA Awards in 1998 for “You Don’t Seem to Miss Me.” Three years later, he won the same award with Buck Owens, Bill Anderson, and Brad Paisley for their collaboration “Too Country.”

[RELATED: On This Day in 1955, George Jones Recorded the Song That Became His First Hit Before Being Covered by Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, and Roger McGuinn]

Despite these successful collaborations and multiple generations of adoring fans, the industry had seemingly turned its back on Jones. There’s no better illustration of this than his Grammy-winning 1999 single “Choices,” which peaked at No. 30.

“It’s not that you’re unhappy when you’re doing ballads. It’s just that I try to live the song,” Jones said. “During that three minutes or whatever it is, you try to step in that person’s shoes.”

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