Don Adams, Singer-Songwriter Who Played With George Jones and Johnny Paycheck, Dead at 85

Don Adams, who had a front-row seat to outlaw country’s heyday, died Sunday, Feb. 1, at his home in Greenfield, Ohio. Adams, a member of George Jones’ Jones Boys and Johnny Paycheck’s The Lovemakers, was 85 and had battled cancer off and on for a couple of years, according to Saving Country Music.

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Don Adams Was at the Forefront of a Pivotal Shift in Country Music

Don Adams was born on Jan. 4, 1941, into a musical family in Ross County, Ohio. His father, Frank Adams, was a fiddle player who recorded music with his brothers in the 1930s and ’40s. Adams and his brothers, Arnie and Gary, were close childhood friends of future country music legend Johnny Paycheck (born Donald Eugene Lytle). Growing up, the boys honed their craft together. Don took to bass, rhythm guitar, and harmony vocals.

As adults, the three siblings formed the Adams Brothers, with Don as their lead singer. The Adams Brothers became a hot commodity on the 1960s country music scene, backing big names like Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette, Ray Price, and Marty Robbins. However, they gained the most attention as the Jones Boys—George Jones’ legendary backing band. Paycheck was also a member as well.

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George Jones and The Jones Boys guest star on a classic episode of The Porter Wagoner Show from 1968, with Porter Wagoner and The Wagonmasters, Dolly Parton, Buck Trent, and Speck Rhodes. #georgejones #theporterwagonershow #porterwagoner #dollyparton #speckrhodes #1968 #countrymusictv #classiccountry #porteranddolly #60stv #1960s #60scountry #rockytop #walkthroughthisworldwithme #holdingontonothing #togetheragain #heisreal #theraceison #bucktrent #thejonesboys #grandoleopry #nashville #tvshow #gospelmusic #dolly #classictv #68 #varietyshow #country #countrymusic #foryou #fyp

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Don and Jones would often harmonize onstage, with Jones joking that Adams’ tenor voice was a perfect substitute for Melba Montgomery on songs like “We Must have Been Out of Our Minds.” Don Adams even took the lead on several songs featured on the live album George Jones Live At DanceTown USA—recorded in 1965, but not released until 1987.

[RELATED: Watch George Jones and Johnny Paycheck Perform “The Race Is On” in the Early 60s]

In addition to performing as part of Johnny Paycheck’s band The Lovemakers, Don Adams also enjoyed solo success with songs like “I’ve Already Stayed Too Long” and “I’ll Be Satisfied”.

He Later Relived The Jones Boys Years in Cartoon Form

Younger audiences may recognize Don Adams from Mike Judge’s 2017 animated series Tales From The Tour Bus. Along with brothers Arnie and Gary, Don recounted his rowdy days on the road with George Jones for the Cinemax show.

Both Jones and Paycheck were notorious in country music for their hard-partying lifestyles, and it seems the Adams Brothers kept up just fine. Indeed, the great Merle Haggard himself once quipped that the trio ” had less than a stellar reputation.”

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