Praise was heaped easily on country legend George Jones, a singer known for having one of the most expressive voices in music history.
Frank Sinatra called the native of Saratoga, Texas, one of the “greatest male singers in the world.” Garth Brooks said Jones “is what country means to me.” Waylon Jennings described Jones as “the singer that all singers wished they sounded like.”
Jones died at 81 on Friday, in a Nashville hospital, bringing to a quiet close one of the most remarkable up-and-down careers in country-music history.
News of his death brought me back to 2005 and my interview with the often-prickly performer known as The Possum, weeks in advance of his show at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, his last date in Victoria.
Setting it up was an exercise in and of itself, but with help from his fourth wife, Nancy Sepulvado, who is credited with getting Jones off alcohol and drugs — erasing the nickname “No Show Jones” in the process — the interview finally got done.
Jones was gracious and gruff, his thick accent and booming, measured voice somewhat intimidating at first. I must have caught Jones in a reflective mood, because he was happy to chat about various facets of his life.
“I don’t smoke anymore, I don’t drink anymore, I don’t do wild things anymore,” he said. “I’ve got a wonderful wife who helped me straighten up and we’re living, as I call it, for the first time.”
Jones spoke with disappointment at the cool reception his new music had been getting on country radio stations. Radio programmers were turning a deaf ear to the later work of Jones and his fellow legends, and it bugged him something fierce. “They forgot the past, they left the past,” he said.
“And that’s what hurts our egos, ’cause they have neglected us altogether. We more or less are known for paving the way and getting country music to where it is today. It’s like we get no credit at all anymore. It’s all the glory and money that’s involved today, and they’ve forgotten the fans that made country music.”
Fans never forgot Jones. He repaid them by putting 143 songs into the country Top 40, a successful run few country kings will ever match.
Jones leads our weekly wrap-up of the wild and wonderful, otherwise known as Singles Going Steady. For maximum effect, watch the videos online at timescolonist.com/arts.
1. George Jones
He Stopped Loving Her Today
A run of hits than began with 1955’s Why Baby, Why would make Jones a musical mainstay for years. White Lightning was the first of 14 singles by Jones to hit No. 1, though none was bigger than his signature song, He Stopped Loving Her Today. The smash won every award in 1980, resuscitating a career that had been in a tailspin in the years leading up to its release. He appeared on Ronnie Prophet’s variety show to promote the single, and in this clip, you can hear a singer of the highest order going about his business like a pro. Jones returned the favour and brought Ontario native Prophet on the road with him in 2005, including his last date in Victoria. It was a good one.
2. Taj Mahal
Oh Susannah (live)
Henry St. Clair Fredericks hasn’t issued a record of new material since 2008, but that hasn’t kept him from revisiting his catalogue for inspiration. The blues belter known as Taj Mahal opened his vault last year and released The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal 1969-1973, a two-disc set that featured a disc of unreleased rarities and a Royal Albert Hall concert from 1970. The latter disc is timeless, and shows Mahal’s amazing harmonica talent. Here’s hoping he showcases some of that skill on Tuesday as he joins Shemekia Copeland at Alix Goolden Performance Hall. The more I listen to this live clip from 1970, the more I think $52.50 is dirt cheap for ducats to see Taj Mahal in the flesh.
3. Daniel Wesley
Fuel to Fire
White Rock native Daniel Wesley burst onto B.C. radio stations with the 2007 smash Ooh Ohh, a smoked-out track that was tailored for beaches and bonfires. He has had some success in the years since — selling out Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on back-to-back nights in 2009 is no small feat — but Wesley has yet to match its magnificence. The songwriter is still pushing his limits, however, zig-zagging between summertime singalongs and rock-friendly ragers, and on his sixth and latest recording, Ocean Wide, he digs even deeper into his multiple personalities. Wesley has a solid fan base in Victoria, so when he appears at Sugar on Friday, expect his new single, Fuel to Fire, to ignite the audience.
4. Pigeon Hole
June
Vancouver hip-hop collective Sweatshop Union has roots in a number of groups and locations, including New York, Toronto and Vancouver. Two of its members, Mr. Marmalade and Dusty Melodica, once split their time between Gabriola Island and Nanaimo, giving a local flavour to the Juno-nominated group. Now based in Victoria, the two friends continue to balance work in Sweatshop Union with their own project, Pigeon Hole. The group is back after a break with its second full-length, the brave and engaging Chimpblood. There’s a range of influences at work, but when the group appears Thursday at Lucky Bar, keep an ear out for June, the distant cousin of Deltron 3030.
5. The Chantrelles
Cry Baby
You could fall all over yourself attempting to find words for the music of The Chantrelles, a local soul revival group. But that doesn’t mean you should bypass this horn-heavy throwback. Keep an eye on them over the summer: The seven-piece has a few career-making gigs on its tour schedule, including Calgary’s Sled Island festival in June and the Squamish Valley Music Festival in August. The Chantrelles are also putting together a three-week tour of B.C. and Alberta that begins in July. Local audiences have a chance to catch the “soulful seven” before they head out on the road with a must-see show on Saturday at Logan’s Pub. Miss it, and you’ll be crying like a baby, indeed.
