Country music was rocked by the death of George Jones in 2013. Yes, he was 81, but that’s still considered young these days. His funeral was held at the legendary Grand Ol’ Opry. Former First Lady Laura Bush was there. A who’s who of country music also attended, since Jones was an inspiration to many of them. There were a lot of performers too, but the one that really stood out was Alan Jackson.
Jackson is a superstar himself in the country music world. He’s played countless shows and yet he still seemed a tiny bit nervous standing in front of all these grieving people. Jones’ casket sat there in front of the stage. Gathering himself, he announced to the audience that he would be singing “He Stopped Loving Her Today”, which was one of Jones’ biggest hits of his career. It’s a simple, yet powerful song.
Driven by a soft, yet steady drumbeat, Jackson gave an incredible performance. He really wanted to send off Jones with a fantastic version of his song. The camera showed the Opry’s audience all standing during the song. They were mesmerized by his singing and the music. Jackson really did the country legend proud – he was probably watching this performance and grinning from ear to ear.
The finale of the song was enough to reduce anyone there to tears. Jackson removed his cowboy hat, held it over his heart and said, “George, we love you.” before walking off the stage. It was evident that he was holding back tears himself. Jones meant that much to the county music community. They are a family of brothers and sisters and the loss of one affects nearly every member.
What a moving video. The song was so quiet and understated yet so powerful. Jackson’s voice was perfect for it. What did you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts about it.
https://youtu.be/GbjpbqowX3Y
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