At 80, George Jones still playing 'good country music'
When country music came out of its niche as a novelty toward being a viable commercial genre in the 1950s, George Jones was right there. Nicknamed "The Ol' Possum" for a taciturn appearance, his signature vocals - rolling from deep bass up to tenor - carried an emotion that clicked with listeners.
Songs like "White Lightnin'," "The Race Is On," "The Grand Tour" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today" populate his catalog and are appealing enough to generate covers by other artists like Jack Jones and the Grateful Dead. The lyrical content consisting of high times and the resultant letdowns, because of personal issues, also led to an entire mythology springing up around him.
The inner demons and torment were palpable when considering the events in his life: several fortunes made and lost, a tumultuous marriage and divorce with Tammy Wynette, legendary bouts of alcohol and substance abuse, along with the perceived "death wish" in the early 1980s to go out like Hank Williams.
Like his nickname, Jones has somehow endured and survived by coming to life yet again as a clean and sober man. His music has always maintained the glimmer of hope and redemption through the darkness, another reason his fan base has stuck close by in the cheering section.
This year, he is being feted with tributes to mark his 80th birthday and has embarked on a short fall tour that comes to Waukegan's Genesee Theatre for an 8 p.m. show Saturday.
Jones agreed to a rare interview, and the email correspondence follows in an edited transcript.
<b>Q.</b> Congratulations on your 80th birthday. Did you think you'd make it this far?
<b>A.</b> I never really thought about dying. I don't know why, I just didn't, but I am real happy to have made it this far. I try not to live in the past, or do a lot of looking back. I think you just live for today.
<b>Q.</b> With this current tour, what songs are highlights for you, and what feelings do you get from them?
<b>A.</b> I love all the songs I perform. They all have a personal meaning for me but I would have to say the one that I love the most is "He Stopped Loving Her Today," and not just because it was my biggest hit but because the audience reaction is always amazing, when those first words are uttered ... "He said I'll love you 'til I die."
<b>Q.</b> Your battles with alcohol and substance abuse are legendary. How did you finally turn the corner, and what has kept you on the clean and sober road?
<b>A.</b> A near-death car crash opened my eyes to what alcohol was doing to me and as soon as I recovered, I made the decision to stop drinking and stay sober which thankfully I have done. It doesn't hurt having Nancy Jones as your wife either. One reporter asked her, "Nancy, what would you do if something like this happened again?" Her reply was ... "He will be the late great George Jones" and I believe her.
<b>Q.</b> You have a dedicated fan base that spans many generations. What do you feel has kept them sticking with you, besides the great music?
<b>A.</b> I hope it is the music. I love traditional country music and I think my fans do too. There are still a lot of people that love good country music.
<b>Q.</b> Is the story true that you played backing for Hank Williams on a record? What do you remember from that session?
<b>A.</b> It was and I have never been as scared in my life. I was so in awe of him I couldn't even speak when we were introduced. Hank, Roy Acuff, and Lefty Frizzell were my heroes.
<b>Q.</b> You were there in the 1950s-1960s, when country music turned into a popular music form and chalked up big record sales. What do you think caused that to happen?
<b>A.</b> I think with television and more radio stations having a country format, it increased the popularity of country music, and the more people that were exposed to it, then more of them liked it. We began touring all around the country so people were able to come see us in person. I think people can usually relate to country songs, and that increased the popularity as well. I will never forget when Loretta Lynn released the song, "The Pill" that caused such an uproar. Why … people were outraged, stations wouldn't play it. Looking back that is so funny.
<b>George Jones</b>
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29
Where: Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan, (847) 263-6300 or geneseetheatre.com
Tickets: $35-$75