April 26, 2013 will be remembered as one of the most important days in music history. I speak of course of the surprise passing this morning of the greatest country music singer of all time, George Jones.
It's hard to describe the impact of George Jones on country music. It's just so great. His legacy has been well documented -- roughly 200 albums recorded, 50 years in the music business, and an astounding 168 singles charted on Billboard ... more than any recording artist in any genre in history. From what I can gather, he's the only country singer that would cause the great Frank Sinatra to step aside and allow to take center stage. He has influenced countless singers in all genres over generations, from the Garth Brooks to the Oak Ridge Boys, Elvis Costello to Clint Black, James Taylor to Jason Aldean. It's tough to measure the loss of this artist whom Patterson Hood of the Drive-by Truckers rightly described as a Genius country singer.
The music of George Jones had an immediate impact on me growing up. As a kid, country music is what I listened to, mainly because that's what my parents listened to. It was really the only music I was exposed to until I reached high school. While I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, I spent a great deal of my youth growing up in Minden, Ontario which is where both sides of my family come from. Playing music in those parts was a way of life and a way of entertaining yourself on the weekends. We spent many, many nights in my grandmothers' kitchen at the old farmhouse playing some great country music, much of it classic George Jones songs such as "She Thinks I Still Care" and "Tennessee Whiskey." On a day such as this, I'm taken back to those times. And I smile. They're such great memories.
I know that I'm not alone when I speak of the family sing alongs and kitchen parties with George Jones tunes at the forefront. I know I'm also not alone when I speak of hopping in the family car with the radio on and mom or dad popping in a cassette tape, and that tape was the "Same Ole Me" album, or one of his many greatest hits albums and being mezmerized by the beautiful ebb and flow of George's voice. George had one of the most unique vocal stylings of any artist in history. His voice could start soft and rolling, then soar to heights that just aren't reachable by many artists of today or any day for that matter. There was always real emotion in his voice and performance that led to chill bumps for the listener. His voice contributed to the production, it really was another instrument on the record.
As I listen to the Grand Ole Opry broadcast tonight, I'm reminded of why I love country music. It's because of the history of this great genre. I love the stories, the vocal performance, the writing and the personalities of the artists. I love that my family introduced me to this great and historical style of music. And a lot of that has to do with the greatest vocalist of all time, George Jones.
Country music will live on and will endure. No one single artist or group entity is bigger than the genre, not even the greatest, George Jones. But the reason country music is where it is today is because George Jones was so big. He was a larger than life figure in music, crossing so many boundaries that Kid Rock and The Rolling Stones consider him one of their heroes. And I personally will be forever grateful for the wonderful catelogue of music, and the wonderful memories of listening to his records and sharing that time with my family. It was George's music that brought us together. Just like George, they're priceless.
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