It’s been ten years, today, since we lost one of the most iconic Country artists there ever done was.
On April 26th, 2013, George Jones passed away at the age of 81 from hypoxic respiratory failure. Still, the Country music community continues to celebrate his legendary career that produced millions of albums sold, as well as a massive 140 charting singles on the Top 40.
Six days after the death of Jones, his funeral was held at the Grand Ole Opry, where George had played at hundreds of times. Fans lined up, as it was open to the public, and multiple Country music stars honored the legend with performances and tributes.
Travis Tritt, Kid Rock, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless and Randy Travis, just to name a few, all gave performances but one that stood out the most, at least to me, was Alan Jackson’s performance of The Possum’s 1980 hit, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.“
Not only is the song legendary in itself, but especially to those who appreciate the artists’ to come before them. When you have Alan Jackson, a close friend to George, visibly fighting back tears in this moment, you can’t help but get emotional. It’s still hard to believe it’s already been 10 years, but George Jones’ legacy will continue to carry on in Country music for (hopefully) the rest of time.
Check out the performance, below.