Born 95 Years Ago Today In The Lone Star State, He Was One Of Country Music's Greatest Voices

Entering the world 95 years ago by way of Saratoga, Texas, on September 12, 1931, George Jones would quickly become a country music legend. A skilled vocalist and songwriter, Jones picked up the guitar at age 9 and spent his youth honing his chops by busking and performing at churches and in bars. Emulating early greats like Hank Williams and Roy Acuff, Jones started selling a lot of records to the country faithful in the mid-1950s, melding his influences — the blues, Appalachian folk music, and hard-charging bar band jams — into something truly unique. 

A musician had to be tenacious to make it in the dark world of country music in the 1960s, and Jones' contributions to country are just as hard as the rock songs of that era. He's probably the most influential figure on how country music was written, performed, and mythologized. Jones' compositions were full of clever wordplay and had emotional arcs, if not full narratives, which allowed the singer to pour out his feelings slowly but surely, and that vulnerability popped up throughout his aching, deeply felt vocals and guitar performances. 

Jones also experienced firsthand a lot of the personal issues he and other country stars wrote and sang about. Behind the scenes, promoters called him "No-Show Jones" — Jones was a musician who partied too hard, which led to many skipped concerts over his career, as well as several run-ins with law enforcement. He died at age 81 in April 2013.

At the time of his death in 2013, George Jones had set the record for the most singles on Billboard's country chart with 157. And of those hits, 13 went to No. 1, spanning the history and evolution of modern country music with several classic and foundational hits among them. While always working within the framework of country, Jones showed off a remarkable versatility, and his work was usually heartily embraced by the country music establishment and his fanbase.

For example, in 1959, Jones' wry, boozy, hiccuping moonshine ode "White Lightning" spent five weeks at the top. Three years later, the ironic, pretending-to-be-over-it "She Thinks I Still Care" reached No. 1. Jones was still topping the chart in the 1980s, such as with the devastating, twist-powered ballad of undying love, "He Stopped Loving Her Today."

In addition to his huge catalog of solo work, Jones was also half of the first couple of country music. Jones' relationship with Tammy Wynette was professional, personal, and complicated. Married from 1969 to 1975, their romantic duets like "We're Gonna Hold On," "Near You," and "Golden Ring" brought unabashed sappiness and sentiment to mainstream country.