Latest news with #GeorgeJones
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
The ‘rollercoaster' career of NI music legend George Jones – from providing ‘an oasis' in the Troubles to a ‘tragic year'
Clubsound star George Jones tells all on his life spent entertaining others, surviving a bombing, and finding faith in difficult times. Music and broadcasting legend George Jones has by his own admission been on a 'rollercoaster' journey and said he feels bring happiness to others is what he has 'been guided to do with my life'. That realisation has come having found religion and looking back on a past well lived which has seen him wear all manner of hats – musician, comedian, broadcaster and more latterly artist and Christian.
Forbes
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Nashville Unveils Statue Honoring George Jones - Outside The Ryman Auditorium
New statue outside the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN honors country music legend George Jones With one of the most distinctive voices in music, showcased by songs like 'He Stopped Loving Her Today,' 'Grand Tour,' and others, many fans and artists alike consider George Jones the greatest country singer of all time. Now, twelve years after his death, the country legend has his own statue outside the Ryman Auditorium. Friends, family, and fans gathered in downtown Nashville to see the statue for the first time and celebrate the country legend who played the Ryman many times throughout his career, when it served as home to the Grand Ole Opry. Jones became a member of the Opry in 1956. At the unveiling ceremony, Colin Reed, Ryman Hospitality Properties Executive Chairman, presented Jones' wife, Nancy, with a photograph of Jones playing on the Ryman stage decades ago. Nancy Jones shows photograph of husband, George Jones, performing at the Ryman. The photo was given ... More to her by Ryman Hospitality Properties Executive Chairman Colin Reed at unveiling of Jones' statue. June 03, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by) Over the past year, Nancy has spent time with sculptor Ben Watts, sharing artifacts, clothing items, and photos of her husband, as Watts worked to create the statue. She was excited to see the end result. Colin Reed and George Jones's wife, Nancy, attend the unveiling ceremony of new statute. Ryman ... More Auditorium, June 03, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by) 'The statue is beautiful,' she said. 'It has the wedding band, the ring he wore all the time, it's just beautiful.' It also captures the way Jones dressed, his stance on stage, and even sports his favorite guitar strap. Nashville unveils new statue honoring George Jones. Ryman Auditorium. Famous for a steady string of country hits, Jones was equally well-known for getting into trouble due to his problems with drugs and alcohol. The man known as 'The Possum' also ended up with a second nickname of 'No Show Jones' after he failed to show up to a number of his own concerts. With Nancy's help, things improved for Jones later in life. Fellow musician and good friend Jamey Johson paid tribute to Jones with a couple of stories about his 'antics', like the one where a relative took away Jones' car keys to keep from drinking and Jones took off in a John Deere riding lawn mower. 'Everybody's heard about that lawn mower incident," Johnson, "but that dude really drove a lawn mower eight miles to get to a bar. At the time, it didn't seem like an antic to him. It was what was necessary if he was gonna get a drink.' Jamey Johnson pays tribute to friend and fellow country artist George Jones Ryman at the unveiling ... More of new George Jones statue. They not only shared a love of music, they had a special connection as both served in the Marines. June 03, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by) He also recounted a story about the time Jones and Buck Owens were touring together and alternating their shows. One night Jones would open and Owens would close, and the next night they'd reverse the order. It worked out fine until they were set to do a show near Jones' hometown on a night and Owens was scheduled to close. Jones, expecting a lot of people he knew might be there, asked Owens to switch and let 'him' close that night. Owens refused. 'So, George took the stage that night and did something Buck couldn't do,' Johnson explained. 'George knew every song that Buck Owens was going to do that night and since they were sharing the band, George went out and did Buck's entire set before Buck came on. When George walked off the stage he looked at Buck and said, 'Follow that.' Despite his Jones' reputation for bad behavior, Nancy says the one place that never happened – was the Ryman. Nancy Jones speaks at unveiling of George Jones statue in Nashville, TN 'George loved the Ryman. It meant everything to him. It's the one place I wish we could have worked every weekend because when he played there, he didn't believe in having a drink. He said, 'It's the Mother Church of Country Music' and he was absolutely thrilled when he would work there.' She said he played his best shows at the Ryman and would be so pleased to have his statue outside that building. 'It makes me feel good and I know it'd make George feel good. He'd say, 'Well, honey, I finally made it.'' Jones' statue becomes the newest addition to the Ryman Icon Walk honoring country music greats. George Jones statue becomes newest addition to Ryman Iconic Walk - Nashville, TN The idea began in 2015 with the first one, at the front of the building, honoring Little Jimmy Dickens. Since then, the Ryman has added four statues, all located on the side of the building: Bill Monroe, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, and now, George Jones. Little Jimmy Dickens statue in front of Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN Statue of Bill Monroe on Ryman Icon Walk outside the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN Statue honoring Loretta Lynn on Ryman Icon Walk outside the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN Statue honoring Charley Pride on Ryman Icon Walk outside the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN The one honoring Jones comes as the Opry celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Nancy says she will continue to find new ways to build upon her husband's legacy and eventually plans to open a new George Jones Museum. She hears from fans all the time who still love and adore him, and his music continues to inspire new generations of country music artists. She says there's never been anyone like him. 'They only made one George Jones,' she says. 'Trust me." Throughout his lengthy career, Jones had more than 160 charting singles leaving an indelible mark on country music. Promotional studio portrait of American country singer and songwriter George Jones with an acoustic ... More guitar, circa 1970. (Photo by)
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Tracy Lawrence On How George Jones Helped Him & His Way Of Paying It Forward With New Artists
Country artist Tracy Lawrence His careers spans more than three decades with 18 No. 1 hits that includes familiar songs like 'Time Marches On,' 'Paint Me A Birmingham,' and 'If the World Had a Front Porch,' just to name a few. He continues to tour and still draws a crowd, too, with last week's sold-out show at the Ryman Auditorium as the latest example. Tracy Lawrence performs at his sold out show at the Ryman Auditorium - Sunday, May 18th, 2025 - ... More Nashville, Tennessee And yet, Tracy Lawrence accepts that he's on the 'other side' of his country music career and now is a time to enjoy all he's accomplished and make way for the younger artists striving to make their way up the ladder in hopes of achieving success. It wasn't all that long ago he was in 'their' position. 'I remember the whole country music movement in the early 90s when things started to change and the format was shifting away from the Haggards and the Jones and Waylons,' Lawrence recalls. 'A lot of those older cats were really upset with us because they'd been on the radio for years and all of a sudden radio stations weren't playing their records anymore.' Lawrence saying in the middle of that struggle, he remembers how George Jones showed a lot of class in welcoming those new artists. 'I saw the way George Jones handled that and the way he embraced us young kids. I spent a couple of years on the road with him. It was me and Mark Chestnutt and John Anderson that kind of rotated in and out of that tour. I watched how gracious George Jones was, and as I've gotten older, I realize I'm in that same place now. I'm not getting played on the radio anymore. But I've had my time and it's a young person's game now.' Lawrence has found his own way of 'connecting' with today's young artists. He created a podcast called 'TL's Road House' And from the comfortable setting of his tour bus, he spends time with country's up-and-coming stars. So far, he's interviewed Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, HARDY, and many, many others. 'What I strive for when I go into these interviews is to find a common ground that we share like the passion for the music,' Lawrence says. 'And to talk about what their frustrations are within the industry, relationships with record labels, and so on. And with the diversity of the different artists, no two conversations are ever the same.' Zach Top with Tracy Lawrence for "TL's Road House" - recorded on Lawrence's tour bus Jelly Roll appears on Tracy Lawrence's tour bus for the podcast "TL's Road House" He's discovered everyone has their own, unique country music journey. 'We all come from a different place,' he explains. 'We all had a different family life. Some people came up with a musical family, some didn't. There are some people who were born singing Christmas songs and church songs, and others who didn't tap into their passion until they were in their twenties. It's a fascinating conversation to have with these young people. He chose the tour bus setting because it tends to put people at ease. Tracy Lawrence and Ella Langley on Lawrence's tour bus for "TL's Road House" Riley Green and Tracy Lawrence for "TL's Road House" 'I wanted to do it on the bus because of the comfort factor artists have. When you spend time on a bus, it's your safe space, There's a feeling they get when the come in and sit down that everything is cool. It has a charm to it. The only frustrating thing is having to set it up and tear it down for every podcast we do. It takes about an hour and a half to do that. So, I keep everything in boxes back in the closet.' As busy as he stays with the podcast, Lawrence is still playing shows. He's also busy with a host of other projects including his Mission Possible charity for the homeless. He and a group of artists, athletes, and celebrities held his fifth annual golf tournament fundraiser in Nashville last week, raising more than $200,000. Fellow country artists, athletes, and others took part in Tracy Lawrence's fifth annual Mission: ... More Possible Celebrity Classic Golf Tournament at Old Hickory Country Club outside Nashville, TN on May 19th, 2025. They raised more than $200,000. Lawrence, who grew up in a Christian home with a mother very active in the church, says it started out as a small way to give back twenty years ago and has now become a major annual event. 'It was never meant to be a big charity thing, it was just a handful of us that wanted to do something for the community, shine a light on the Rescue Mission, and feed the homeless,' he says. 'That first year for Thanksgiving, I think we cooked 200 turkeys. Last November we cooked 1700 turkeys and raised about $300,000. It's amazing to see how something with no strategy or plan has evolved into something unique and every special.' While Lawrence may not see his songs played on the radio or make their way up the country charts like they did years ago, he continues creating new music and is currently working on a new album. Thanks to social media and streaming services, he knows it'll find its way to the people who want to hear it. More than thirty years after it all began, Lawrence still loves performing. He says there's nothing like playing to a packed house with the crowd singing his biggest hits right along with him. 'I still love it, I still love being out there,' he says. 'I played Stagecoach in April and getting on stage and feeling that energy from people… When I hit 'Paint Me A Birmingham' at the end of my set, they were so loud. I guarantee it was 115,000 deep because my front house engineer told he had to turn it up (the audio) three times to get it over the people in the crowd. It was awesome!' Singer Tracy Lawrence performs on the Palomino stage during the Stagecoach Music Festival on April ... More 27, 2025 in Indio, California. (Photo byfor Stagecoach)
The Guardian
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
That's me in the spotlight: Michael Shannon on swapping Hollywood for an REM covers band
Michael Shannon was a teenager when he first heard REM. 'I was out at my cousin's trailer; he lived in the country. He put Document on his little cassette recorder, and I sat in his room with him and listened to it. Any art I find compelling is usually because it seems singular, like the people who are making it are the only people that could be making it.' Shannon is used to making singular art himself, as a distinctive presence in notable films for many years: Nocturnal Animals, Knives Out, The Bikeriders, The Shape of Water, Bullet Train and more. But he can also sing – in George and Tammy he played the country legend George Jones opposite Jessica Chastain as Tammy Wynette, doing all his own performances. Not for him, though, the vanity album. Instead, Shannon has taken to the road, with a band put together by US indie-rock lifer Jason Narducy backing him as he performs REM's back catalogue. First it was 1983 debut Murmur played in full, now it's 1985's Fables of the Reconstruction, a show that is coming to the UK later this year. Shannon turns his face away for most of our video call, but leans in with questions about their London dates: 'What neighbourhood is the Garage in? Is it near the Almeida [theatre]? I want to be there. We're coming over to your flat before the show!' Shannon and Narducy first met in 2014, when the musician Robbie Fulks invited them to help him perform Lou Reed's album The Blue Mask in Chicago. The two took that ball and ran with it, playing a different classic album in that city every year – the Modern Lovers' debut, Neil Young's Zuma and the Smiths' The Queen Is Dead among them. But REM was the mother lode, and for Narducy part of why he started playing music. 'They had a punk rock ethos,' he says. 'They were anti-Big Rock Band, but they didn't sound punk rock at all. So they were mysterious to me, but immediately engaging. And I think a lot of that had to do with the sadness in the music. Mike and I talk about this all the time, about how decades later, this music is still so profoundly moving.' Shannon chips in. 'And I certainly think as a lyricist, Michael Stipe is a truly unique and very effective communicator, considering that people tend to go on at length about the inscrutability of some of his lyrics. I would argue that there's not a more efficient and direct communicator in the history of rock'n'roll frontmen.' Playing Murmur in 2023 got them offers to gig nationwide. When they played at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia, in February 2024, the whole of REM turned up; when they returned in February this year, REM didn't just turn up, they all played with Shannon and Narducy. 'It was emotional,' Narducy says. 'There were people crying and screaming. You couldn't help but get wrapped up in the emotion of it.' Shannon is more circumspect. 'Honestly, the main thing I'm thinking when [REM] come up is that I want them to enjoy being there. It's their moment. It's their music. It's their house. It's a big leap of faith for them to walk up there and do that with us.' Narducy says that his and Shannon's versions of REM songs 'don't sound much like REM did when they played them at the time'. Again, Shannon counters this a little: 'We are very faithful to the records. The one exception is me. We're steeped in the source material; we spend a long time studying it before we even get together in the room. Everybody takes a lot of pride in paying attention to the little details: if you listen to early bootlegs of REM live, they sound a little sparse and they're not able to do everything on the record.' Is it a privilege to have the status that you can get a crack backing band – with REM themselves or not – to play these songs you love, for you to sing? 'Everything is a privilege,' Shannon says. 'I'm just glad I'm not on a plane to El Salvador. It's a privilege to be able to walk around freely.' But, he concedes, 'the world is very dark, and the timing of this has ended up being a beautiful thing. We did our first press for this the morning after Trump had won, and we were both pretty despondent. But the tour seemed to give everybody a boost, including us. It's wonderful to remember there's music that can transport people to a time and place in their lives that's separate from all the insanity.' He must really take pleasure in singing to go out on tour doing it. 'Pleasure? I don't know. I sang when I was a boy. I was in a choir. And I've written some of my own music and sung that from time to time. No matter what I do, some people will appreciate it and some won't. It's not a numbers game for me. It's a lot more spiritual than that.' Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy's Fables of the Reconstruction tour of the UK and Ireland begins 19 August
