Mention the name ‘Possum’ to any country music fan and they will immediately know to whom you refer.
Affectionately or perhaps non affectionately depending on where you stand with the nickname it was the shape of his nose and his facial features that gave him the tag.
Other tags have included ‘Thumper Jones’, ‘No Show Jones’ (due to his wild lifestyle he missed many of his shows), ‘Tammy Wynette’s husband’ and to many of his fans around the world, and probably more apt ‘the greatest living country singer’.
From appearing on the scene in 1955 through to date George jones has recorded sixty studio albums, two live albums,released six compilations appeared in eighteen videos amassed fourteen number ones.
From the early days of his career when in 1956 when he was awarded the Most Promising New Country Vocalist he has probably garnered more awards than any other artists through Male Vocalist of the Year to Top Duets ,to Song of the Year, Single of the Year,Pioneer Awards ,Living Legend Awards and many more.
He is also ranked as number three in the Forty Greatest Men of Country Music according to a poll on Country Music Television.
His latest release entitled ‘A Good Year for the Roses’ shows why George has stayed at the top of the popularity polls with a varied offering of light and shade in a collection of twenty of his greatest songs.
It’s the Jones boy at his very best as he chants his way from the title track through ‘Swingin’Doors’,'The Race is On’,'Love Bug’,'Why Baby Why’,'HonkyTonk Downstairs’,'Don’t Be Angry’,'Ragged But I’m Right’,'We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds’ and a plethora of other greats.
Next year George will celebrate his eightieth birthday and in an interview recently said that he was now cutting his workload to only sixty dates a year.
That as it may be is still great news for a ‘living legend’ who is still selling millions of records around the world.
It’s Been a Good Day For The Roses will only add growth to his status.
Sheer vocal country magic!