George Jones, one of the greatest country singers, and the owner of one of the best voices in any genre, passed away today. The Possum was 81.
You may find more detailed accounts of his life in the obituaries, but each one will mention “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” the great song written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putnam and recorded by Jones in 1980 not long after his divorce from Tammy Wynette disintegrated into cocaine use and added to the legend of “No Show Jones.” Many call the song, which is about a man who never loses his desire for a lost love, the greatest country song of all time. It also has one of the best twist endings of any song. And the brokenhearted have probably played “He Stops Loving Her Today” on more honky tonk jukeboxes than any other song. Here’s a live performance on The Ronnie Prophet Show in July 1980.
While any discussion of Jones will begin and end with “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” Jones had other hits and other great songs like “The Race is On,” “White Lightning,” and “A Good Year for the Roses.” As the hits stopped in later years he remained a respected country music living legend. In 1999 he had some success with an album I love, Cold Hard Truth. The album included the wonderful song “Choices,” which, like “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” seemed to fit Jones like a glove:
“I was tempted, by an early age I found,
I liked drinkin’, oh, and I never turned it down;
There were loved ones but I turned them all away;
Now I’m living and dying with the choices I’ve made.”
When Jones was supposed to perform “Choices” at the 1999 Country Music Association Awards show, the producers asked him to omit verses from the song, apparently so they could focus on younger artists. Jones stood up for what was right and refused to cut the song and boycotted the show. But Jones was so respected that Alan Jackson cut his own performance of “Pop a Top” short to sing Jones’s song, a tribute that yielded a standing ovation.
Below is Jones’s version of “Choices,” added to a video played during George Jones’s 2013 Farewell Tour. It is a perfect way to say goodbye to the man. RIP.
What is your second-favorite George Jones song? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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