There was more humor than sadness at Jones' funeral Thursday at the Grand Ole Opry House as thousands gathered in Nashville some arriving hours before sunrise to pay their respects to the man whose voice has defined country music for more than half a century. The legendary country singer passed away on April 26, 2013 at the age of 81. Country music legend George Jones died Friday, April 26, in Nashville, Tennessee. George Jones Dead at 81. 3:17. The casket was closed for the memorial service, though it remained open May 1 for a private visitation at the Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home. Country music legend George Jones, who died last week at the age of 81, will receive a star-studded sendoff at his funeral at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on Thursday, with a. He was just a real man, she remembered. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, . We give so much of our self to the people, to the fans, to the crowds and to the business that sometimes when you come home, it can be a little empty there because you don't have so much left to give. During an early 1960s Johnny Cash package tour, Jones asked a 13-year-old Barbara Mandrell to back him on steel guitar, along with Cash's Tennessee Three. Paisley remembered Jones allowing him to house his first horse on the Jones family farm and the visits the two would have, then sang "Me & Jesus." Rick Diamond/Getty Images for GJ Memorial. Publicist Kirt Webster said in a statement that the public funeral . Jackson closed the ceremony as he emotionally sang Jones' signature song, "He Stopped Loving Her Today." "I'll just give you a little bit of it," he told those attending the service before he performed, Jones cried after Alan Jackson surprised the Country Music Association Awards audience in 1999 by segueing into Jones' hit, Jones called Vince Gill "Sweetpea." George Jones performed hundreds of times at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House whether on the WSM Radio show, or appearing on such shows from the auditorium like the CMA Awards, so it's only. Tirez parti du rseau mondial GettyImages, avec plus de 340 000 crateurs, pour dvelopper un contenu exclusif, cr spcialement pour votre marque. NEWS: George Jones' funeral open to the public. Barbara Mandrell remembered the kindnesses he gave a scared 13-year-old girl just getting her start in the business. Everyone knows the absolute fact: that George was and always will be the greatest singer of all time in country music, Mandrell said before relating an anecdote of meeting Jones for the first time as a precocious 13-year-old up-and-comer on a Johnny Cash package tour, on which Jones drafted her to play steel guitar in the house band. The late country singer's life was remembered and celebrated today at theGrand Ole Opry House in Nashville, with numerous celebs sharing fond memories of Jones through eulogies as well as paying tribute to his legacy in the music industry by performing onstage. Gill recalled touring in his early years with Jones and Conway Twitty and having to perform with Jones opening, and Twitty closing. 0:42. The resurrection of his health and his spirit was due primarily to Nancy, Kris Kristofferson had told Tritt at the time. The singer talked about how difficult it can be to be married to a performer, and performed an original song called The Best Of Me.. Fans can also stream the service online at the Opry's website and watch on CMT. Along with the celebs, thousands of Jones' fans lined up hoping to secure a seat in the Opry House, filling the theater's upper deck and outer . Le design Getty Images est une marque de Getty Images. "I know that's a huge (leap of) imagination," Kid Rock said with an embarrassed smile. Judd also recalled that her first concert ever was Jones and Merle Haggard, and also praisedhis hair. Jones, who has . George Jonespublic memorial service was one star-studded event. Repeatedly hailed as the greatest country singer of all time since his April 26 passing, Jones received an appropriately grand send-off that included performances and speeches by the likes of Brad. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Jackson stretched the word underline into multiple syllables. Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. All Rights Reserved. NEWS: George Jones' funeral open to the public. Ronnie Milsap was then introduced next, saying Were all here because we loved George Jones, before kicking off a soulful version of his 1969 hit When The Grass Grows Over Me, a song that he called the saddest song he had ever heard. After Milsap left the stage, Stubbs introduced Kenny Chesney, who recalled the first Jones song he ever heard was Whos Gonna Chop My Babys Kindlin at his grandmothers. He once drove a mile and a half to a liquor store on a riding lawn mower. A Whos Who of country music royalty, including Vince Gill, Randy Travis, Kenny Chesney, Travis Tritt, Barbara Mandrell, Charlie Daniels, Brad Paisley, Wynonna Judd, Ronnie Milsap, Patty Loveless, Alan Jackson, the Oak Ridge Boys and Kid Rock, gathered to pay tribute to the fallen country icon in song and sentiment. Charlie Daniels walked onto the stage, recalling the first time he heard the voice of George Jones, and also cited the influence he has had on so many artists over the years. Jones never got over being nervous on the Grand Ole Opry stage, especially those times when he was introduced by the late Roy Acuff. Bill Haslam spoke, as did former Arkansas Gov. "George would have wanted his fans. Update: A public funeral for country icon George Jones will take place on Thursday, May 2 at The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn. Jones, widely considered one of the most. Trending. "George Jones' voice was a rowdy Saturday night uproar at a back-street beer joint, the heartbroken wail of the one who wakes up to find the other side of the bed empty, the far-off lonesome whistle of the midnight train, the look in the eyes of a young bride as that ring is placed on her finger, the memories of a half-asleep old man dreaming about the good old days," Daniels said. The country music legend was celebrated with a public service on Thursday, May 2. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. 2:30. Randy Travis sings "Amazing Grace" at George Jones' funeral And it was the same location where He Stopped Loving Her Today picked up single of the year honors from the CMA in 1980. Scheiffer also commented that in 2008, Jones was a little concerned about attending the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony where he was going to be celebrated because He didnt think people in Washington didnt like country music, and wouldnt know who he was., A couple of Jones fellow Grand Ole Opry members were next in the program. Jones gave Gill his Sweet Pea nickname, and Loveless had covered many Jones records over the years including her first top ten single, If My Heart Had Windows, from 1988 which featured Gill on harmony. Editors picks I came here today to tell Nancy I love you.and I will miss him so much.. While they mourn, they also celebrate his eternal new life in Heaven--and it's a beautiful thing to witness! Les tableaux sont le meilleur endroit pour sauvegarder des images et des vidos. I hate [the circumstances], said fan Kenneth Harris, of Lebanon, Tenn., but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He wasnt just singing to Nancy, Mattea noted. The first was Randy Travis, who relayed a story to the crowd about a concert date where Jones persuaded Travis to close for him. We want to hear it. Dveloppez votre marque de manire authentique en partageant son contenu avec tous les crateurs Internet. The near-capacity audience included fellow performers such as Garth Brooks, Dierks Bentley, Bill Anderson and numerous other Opry stars but it was likewise populated by influential Music Row figures and by a legion of fans in the upper balcony. Jones peers, his imitators and the country music diehards who waited in line to get a seat at the Opry House will have a difficult time getting over the loss of Jones. I never thought Id be here doing this . 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After years of battling alcohol and drug abuse, he finally turned around his life after a near-fatal 1999 auto accident. Profitez de millions dimages, de vidos et morceaux de musique de qualit. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Perhaps the most poignant moment came when Milsap sang an ethereal take on the woozy barroom requiem When the Grass Grows Over Me. This is the saddest song Ive ever sung, he said from behind the piano. But the speakers also remembered a great performer who was loved by his fans. A star-studded country music tribute is being held as part of his funeral services Thursday (May 2) at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. Related: George Jones, life in pictures "The great thing is every time someone calls me Sweet Pea, I'll get to think about him," Gill said before earning a standing ovation for his rendition of "Go Rest High on That Mountain" with Patty Loveless. All Rights reserved. The funeral was broadcast live on cable music television channels CMT and GAC and in a nod to simpler times when Jones was at his biggest on all local television networks. Robert Keefer sings 'He Stopped Loving Her Today' at the McCorkles Feb 27th 2015. Jones' funeral will start at 10 a.m. CST and will be open to the public. He called getting to say goodbye to Jones One of the greatest honors of my life. He also relayed what it would have meant to his father had he known he had played music with Jones on his FOX TV show. It was a Travis duet , A Few Old Country Boys, that brought Jones his final top ten entry on the singles chart in 1990. Read about our approach to external linking. Wynonna Judd remembered his perfect hair and his friendship. WSM announcer Eddie Stubbs welcomed the crowd to the Opry House, and proceeded to introduce longtime family friend Tanya Tucker and the Imperials, who performed a beautiful version of the Gospel classic The Old Rugged Cross, ending the performance by saying Im gonna miss you, Possum. Tucker was one of several acts that was slated to perform with Jones on his final concert which was slated for Nov. 22 in Nashville. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric', The people who want you to believe the Ukraine war is fake. 2023 Getty Images. The 81-year-old starpassed away at Vanderbilt University Medical Center last week, where he had beenhospitalizedsince a week earlier after coming down with a slight fever and irregular blood pressure, however his immediate cause of death is still unknown. Country legend George Jones died last Friday (April 26) after a brief hospitalization for a fever and high blood pressure. The Grand Ole Opry House is home to America's longest-running radio show, titled The Grand Ole Opry. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Nancy Jones) And he mirrored the Possums approach as he struggled with the pitch of the high notes in the chorus, but captured every ounce of feeling in its storyline. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Kid Rock started writing a song for Jones but never finished it and never played it for him. And Vince Gill remembered the man who gave him the nickname "Sweet Pea," a moniker he wasn't sure he liked at first but now treasures. Jones himself credited her belief in him as the turning point in a dramatic life, Jones minister, Pastor Mike Wilson, told the crowd. Jones would get in his car and drive around town when he felt like he needed some attention. And more tears when Alan Jackson delivered aversion of He Stopped Loving Her Today that subtly paid tribute to Jones groundbreaking style. Gill also toured with Jones, sandwiched between him and Conway Twitty on the bill. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time But no matter what we got of George Jones, [his wife Nancy] got the best of him. We have lost a stylist, she said, before entrancing the crowd with the gospel number How Great Thou Art, her voice quivering as she swelled into the opening note. Kathy Mattea, a two-time winner of the Country Music Associations Female Vocalist of the Year award, marveled at Jacksons ability to pull off such a difficult song under unique circumstances, and at his ability to connect the song to every person in the house. The Grammy-winning singer died on 26 April, after being admitted to hospital for fever and irregular blood pressure. Thursday's service, which drew thousands of family, friends and fans to the Grand Ole Opry House, also revealed lesser-known stories about the man whom Charlie Daniels called "the most imitated country singer of all time." "And it was never an easy one.". All Rights Reserved. "I would encourage you if you don't know him, go find him now. Go buy his records and see what all this ruckus is about because it's worth it.". Fans will be able to say goodbye to George Jones. 2:23. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. 2023 BBC. Repeatedly hailed as the greatest country singer of all time since his April 26 passing, Jones received an appropriately grand send-off that included performances and speeches by the likes of Brad Paisley, Barbara Mandrell and former First Lady Laura Bush. A king among kings, Jones who died Friday at 81, after he was hospitalized last month with a fever and irregular blood pressure was a legend second only to Hank Williams in the annals of country music, and he had more hits than any other singer in the history of the genre, including White Lightning, She Thinks I Still Care and A Good Year for the Roses. 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