Guide Note

George Jones is a country music legend. He's broken records with 167 hits on the Billboard country music charts. Frank Sinatra once called him "the best white male singer."

Jones began his love for music as a child. At the age of nine, his parents bought him a guitar, and at 16 he began work in a Jasper, Texas radio station. He then joined the U.S. Marine Corps, and sang in bars in towns close to where he was based.

He is still singing and now owns a sausage factory and the George Jones University, teaching pupils about having a career in the music industry.

Fast Facts

1. Name: George Glenn Jones
2. Birthday: September 12, 1931
3. Birthplace: Saratoga, Texas
4. Current Residence: Franklin, Tennessee
5. Years Active: 1955-present
6. Current Record Label: Bandit Records
7. Current Spouse: Nancy Sepulveda
8. Nicknames: "No Show Jones," "The Possom," "Thumper Jones"
9. Grand Ole Opry induction: March 31, 1973
10. Charted singles: 167
11. Top 40 hits: 143
12. Top 10 hits: 78

1. "Country music to me is heartfelt music that speaks to the common man. It is about real life stories with rather simple melodies that the average person can follow. Country music should speak directly and simply about the highs and lows of life. Something that anyone can relate to."
2. "The story of the veterans should be told. That's our history. It was a global event that is worthy of our respect."
3. "I feel great at the moment. In many ways, this is the best time of my life. I'm not fooling with alcohol or drugs anymore and I really feel in great health."