WHO'S GONNA FILL HIS SHOES???

George Jones is an icon......

 

an icon to Country Music...

 

It was such a blessing and inspiration to be able to watch ( i actually felt like I was there and a part of) the star studded memorial service for George Jones held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.  It was the perfect sight for his memorial service being George Jones was a country music legend, who had beena member of the show at Grand Ole Opry since 1956.

 

George Jones was 81 years old and was in the midst of a farewell tour that was to have wrapped up with an all star salute in November in Nashville.  He had postponed 2 performances and entered the hospital with a fever and irregular blood pressure.  He had been ill off and on over the previous year.

 

George Jones death brought universal reaction from the music community and fans.  Not just country music fans.....all music fans.

 

For almost 2 hours, I sat in my mom and dad's living room with them, as we enjoyed all the tributes through music and speeches to honor George Jones.  Tanya Tucker opened the memorial service by singing a beautiful version of "The Old Rugged Cross"  It was really cool to hear Barbara Mandrell speak about the time she first met George, she was 13 years old.  Jones was peforming and didnt have a steel guitar player, so he asked Barbara Mandrell to play the instrument during his performance.  She said he left his lasting imprint on not only her heart, but ALL of our hearts.  He sang for you and for me, and now he is singing in glory for the one who gave him that voice! Hallelujah!! Barbara and him had a duet in 1981 "I was country when country wasn't cool".

 

When you see or hear Charlie Daniels, the first thing that comes to my mind is "the devil went down to Georgia".  So, it was very touching to hear him pick up his guitar and play/sing a simple yet moving version of "Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling oh sinner, come home".

 

I've always enjoyed the upbeat sone "I don't need your rockin chair" that Travis Tritt and George Jones sang together.  At the memorial service Travis Tritt san Kris Krisofferson's "Why Me Lord?", which Jones also recorded.  The lyrics are so humbling.."why me Lord?, what have i ever done to deserve even one fo the pleasures I've known.  Lord, help me Jesus, I've wasted it so help me Jesus, I know what I am....now that I know that I've needed you so, help me Jesus, my souls in your hand."

 

As soon as Kid Rock came on stage, our normal giggles and jokes back and forth between my daddy and I came up.  No, dad, Kid Rock is not Hank Williams Jr's son.  Kid Rock was probably an unlikely participant, yet George had asked him to write a song , one he never finished, until now and it was titled "The best of me."

 

One of my favoirtes....Vince Gill...he joined Patty Loveless.  This priceless time on stage had both humor and tears.  vince told about how he used to tour with George Jones and Conway Twitty.  George would open, and Conway closed the concert.  Patty and Vince combined their talents for the most emotional performance of "Go Rest High on the Mountain" with both artist crying throughout and bring the capicity crowd to their feet and to tears.

 

It was interesting to hear the former first lady Laura bush speak at the service.  She told the crowd "no one made music like a man from East Texas, like George Jones.  She recalled putting quarters in the jukebox to hear Jones 1964 hit "The Race is On."

 

Another Grand Ole Opry member and country star Brad Paisley took the stage and he encouraged those watching the funeral who werent familar with his legacy to seek out his music and "find out what this ruckus is all about..it's worth it.  Then Brad sang "Me and Jesus".

 

Ronnie Milsap and Kenny Chesney also had tributes and expressed their love and admiration for George Jones.

 

Wynonna Judd was a neighbor to the Jones family for many years.  She remembers singing "How Great Thou ARt" at George Jones wife Tammy Wnette in 1998.  Wynonna sadid her first concert ever was George Jones and Merle Haggard.

 

The last performance was very fitting .....Alan Jackson took the stage with a somber performance of the song that defined Jone's career "He stopped loving her today."

 

One of my favorite songs by George Jones is "How Beautiful Heaven must be".  It goes like this..."We read of a place thats called heaven, its made for the pure and the free.  The angels so sweetly are singing, up there by the beautiful sea.  sweet chords from their gold harps are ringing, how beautiful heaven must be."

 

So many of George's songs, the lyrics are so right on, like "Jesus hold my hand, this would be my prayer dear Lord, each and every day, to help me do the best I can, for I need thy light to guide me day and night, Blessed Jesus, hold my hand". or "Me & Jesus"....we got our own thing going, me and Jesus, we got it all worked out"

 

One of the quesitons George asked in one of his biggest hits was "Who's gonna fill their shoes?...He says there will never be another red-headed stranger, a man in black & Folsom Prison Blues, the Okie from Muskogee or Hello Darlin.....Lord, I wonder who's gonna fill their shoes?

 

Now we can ask "Whos is gonna fill his shoes?"  It's been answered by everyone.."No one will be able to fill his shoes".

 

George Jones was well known not just for his music, yet it was also very well known he had troubles as he battled substance abuse and money troubles, but always seem to slide by.  He met his present wife Nancy, and she stood by his side and saw him and loved him out of his addiction...praise God!

 

So, thank you, Randy Travis, Oak Ridge Boys, Laura Bush, Wynonna Judd, Ronnie Milsap, Tanya Tucker, Alan Jackson, Charlie Daniels, Travis Tritt, Barbara Mandrell, Brad Paisly, Kenny Chesney, Patty loveless, Vince Gill and several others....for such a touching, meaningful and respectful tribute to Mr. George Jones...."The Possium"