Over the past few days,
there have been countless mentions and memories mentioned concerning
the passing of George Glenn Jones. Of course, my job required that I
write what has amounted to several stories so far on the legacy of
the artist known as “The Possum.” I can only hope and pray that I
have done him justice.
But, long before I was
writing or on-air for a living, I was a George Jones fan. As I have
written before, I was a strange kid. I was listening to Country Music
exclusively until I was fourteen, and one of those artists was George
Jones. Now, I am not going to say that I was a major fan from the
first listen. But, when I was about eleven years old, he released a
song called “The One I Loved Back Then.” That hooked me, and as I
got older, I began to research more and more of his music. By the
time I was fifteen, I had many of the classics he had recorded some
thirty years before in my collection.
As a teenager in the age
of Jackson (Michael or Janet) and Guns ‘N’ Roses, what was it
about his music that appealed to me so? In his songs, Jones sounded
like the ultimate underdog. He wailed like he was down to his last
dime – or almost his last breath. He sang about pain and heartbreak
like nobody else. People talk about Johnny Cash or Merle Haggard
being (quote) “bad ass,” well, maybe. But, did either one of them
take a Tennessee State Trooper – and WSMV Channel 4 – down
Interstate 65 in the middle of the Six O’Clock news? Not saying it
was a moment he was proud of twenty years later, but it also proved
that if he was going to go down, he was doing it in Rock & Roll
style!
But, thankfully, he
didn’t. Due to the love of a woman named Nancy, he rebounded
strongly, and though there were still some struggles, the George
Jones of 1995 was better than 1985, and his 1999 SUV crash seemed to
end his long struggle with his demons. Over the past couple of days,
it has been mentioned how sad it is that George Jones – the
greatest living Country singer – had passed away. And, I’m not
disagreeing. But, the true sadness is that Nancy Jones lost her
husband. Georgette – and his other children lost their father, and
others lost their grandfather, brother, or friend. But, at 81, more
than any artist the term “cat with nine lives” fittingly
described Jones to a tee. In those eight plus decades, Jones lived a
life that few of us will ever come close to approaching. How many
times do you think the Tennessean
or the Nashville Banner
had the Jones obituary written and waiting from 1978 or so on? In
1994, maybe, when Jones had heart surgery that turned out to be very
serious? And, the 1999 crash – though he did bounce back quickly,
was a lot more serious than most knew. The fact that Nancy had stood
by her man and helped him to quieten his inner demons made the
announcement of his passing Friday morning.....surprising. He had
toned down his act so well that we thought he would live forever.
As
a fan, he touched my life many times over. Whether it was professing
his undying love in “When The Grass Grows Over Me,” hoping for
another chance at love in “Someday My Day Will Come,” or singing
about the wrong turns in life that one takes in Billy Yates’
masterfully written “Choices,” he gave us so many classic
recordings that will live forever. My favorite? That’s almost
impossible to say, but one that would have to place high upon my list
would be “Where Does A Little Tear Come From,” a # 10 hit from
1964. Brilliant yet simple. Seek it out. The only thing is, that
search might take you to “I’ll Follow You Up To Our Cloud,”
“These Days I Barely Get By” or “Wine Colored Roses,” and
then, there are the album cuts......Don’t get me strarted!
So,
tonight as I sip my Pepsi Max (a “bad ass” I am not), and listen
to his recordings while I write this.....I think about the lyrics of
one of my favorite cuts – a song he recorded with the Sweethearts
Of The Rodeo back in 1991....
How
Many Times Have I Stumbled Or Lost My Way Again
Bitter
Tears Have I Cried Even Knowing Deep Inside
How
Much Sweeter The Journey’s End....
Let
Me Face The Road I Must Travel
Let
Me Feel The Cold And Heat
Let
Me Walk In The Sun Till My Journey Is Done
Let
Me Taste The Bitter With The Sweet.
You
want poetry? It doesn’t get any better. Rest in peace, Possum! Your
music will live on!
