NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP May 2, 2013) – Thousands of fans joined some of country’s biggest stars to pay their respects to George Jones in Nashville.
 
     Vince Gill, Kid Rock, Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson and many others  performed at Thursday’s funeral for the late country music superstar. Former first lady Laura Bush and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam are among those who spoke. 
     The funeral was shown live on cable music television GAC, CSi 44, in a nod to simpler times when Jones was at his biggest – on all local television networks.
 
     An overflow crowd of thousands began lining up at 3 a.m. to honor Jones, who died last week at age 81.

 

Reported Previously…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP Apr 26, 2013) – George Jones, the peerless, hard-living country singer who recorded dozens of hits about good times and regrets and peaked with the heartbreaking classic “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” has died. He was 81.

Publicist Kirt Webster says Jones died Friday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville after being hospitalized with fever and irregular blood pressure.

Known for his clenched, precise baritone, Jones had No. 1 songs in five separate decades, 1950s to 1990s, and was idolized not just by fellow country singers, but by Frank Sinatra, Pete Townshend, Elvis Costello, James Taylor and countless others.

In a career that lasted more than 50 years, “Possum” recorded more than 150 albums and became the champion and symbol of traditional country music, a well-lined link to his hero, Hank Williams.