George Jones: The Life and Times of a Honky Tonk Legend

by Bob Allen

(Book). George Jones's nearly 60-year recording and performing career has had a profound influence on modern country music and influenced a younger generation of singers, including Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Tim McGraw, and Trace Adkins. As Merle Haggard said of Jones in Rolling Stone magazine, "His voice was like a Stradivarius violin: one of the greatest instruments ever made." Jones's saga is a larger-than-life tale of rags to riches and back to rags again. He was born into near poverty in a backwater patch of East Texas. His formal education ended early; by his early teens, he was singing on the streets of Beaumont, Texas, for tips. After beginning to record in the mid-1950s Jones became, by sheer dint of his vocal prowess, one of Nashville's most celebrated honky-tonk singers. But from the start, Jones's life, as often reflected in his music, was shaped by misdirection, chaos, turmoil, and emotional strife aggravated by a ferocious appetite for alcohol. Fame and adulation seemed to merely intensify his personal travails. Jones's story has a relatively happy ending. With the help of fourth wife Nancy during the final decade and a half of his life, he got clean and sober, was feted as a much-revered elder statesman for the music, and, by most accounts, found peace of mind at long last.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1994

Reviews

[Oakley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I can say that this is the best music bio that I've read, just ahead of Miles Davis'. I was somewhat ignorant of the colossus that is George Jones before reading. Now I have been listening to him non stop and fully appreciate his unparalled voice. If Rock and Roll is a combo of country and rhythym and blues, Jones makes up the country half. Bob Allen really understands and captures Jones' super human recklessness and booze fueled insanity. His writing is also done in a verbose red-neck country jive that works well with the landscape of Texas and Nashville.

[Garrett Cash · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the best of the two George Jones biographies I've read (besides the autobiographies) but it still has its problems. Allen really needed an editor to cut down on phrases he uses too many times. A George Jones level drinking game you could do with this book would be to take a shot every time the phrase "prodigal singer" is used. That being said, Allen is a much more imaginative and dynamic writer than Kienzle, and especially Jones's early years are more detailed. It's not perfect, but from what I've read this is the most informative of the Jones literature.

[Davis Dunkleberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allen chronicles the singer’s life with great detail. It’s an amazing tale and tribute to one of the best singers in history. A must read for George Jones and country music fans.

[Debbie West · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the author was biased. he seemed to be against anyone who was against George Jones, he seemed to worship his idol, which, to me, is unprofessional. I became SO TIRED of hearing" the prodigal singer." the author also tried to use adjectives most people have never heard of except for Jones'" jack-o-lantern grin" which the author constantly used. He couldn't use a DIFFERENT adjective for THAT! The author CLEARLY has no objectivity toward Tammy Wynette, Jones' 3rd wife and famous country music singer. he ridiculed her many times! The only thing I HAVE liked is learning about George Jone's childhood. I was very disappointed in this book and sincerely hope that Bob Allen has stuck to only writing in tabloids. he has a lot to learn about being objective.