George Jones' Relationship With Beer Explored

George Jones, arguably the best voice in the history of country music, had a well-documented battle with alcohol. His drinking problem led to him missing performances and earning the nickname No Show Jones. Jones's alcoholism compromised his health and he died in 2013 from hypoxic respiratory failure. However, Jones did manage to stay sober for several years at a time and he continued to have a successful music career, achieving international fame and having more than 160 chart singles to his name.

George Jones' father was an alcoholic

George Jones, born in 1931, had a difficult relationship with his father, George Washington Jones, who was a heavy drinker. In his autobiography, Jones recalled that his father's drinking problem worsened after the death of his sister, Ethel, which led him to become physically and emotionally abusive towards his wife and children.

Jones recounted in his autobiography, "I Lived To Tell It All", how his father would return home drunk in the middle of the night with his friends and wake up his son, demanding that he sing for them or face a beating. Country music historian Robert K. Oermann reflected on this, saying:

> "You would think that it would make him not a singer, because it was so abusively thrust on him. But the opposite happened; he became... someone who had to sing."

Jones also admitted that he remained ambivalent and resentful towards his father until the day he died, observing:

> "The Jones family makeup doesn't sit well with liquor... Daddy was an unusual drinker. He drank to excess, but never while working, and he probably was the hardest working man I've ever known."

Jones' father bought him his first guitar when he was nine, and he learned his first chords and songs at church. Several photographs show a young George busking on the streets of Beaumont. Jones left home at 16 and began his career in music.

Jones himself struggled with alcoholism throughout his life, which led to him missing many performances and earning him the nickname "No Show Jones".

Jones' drinking problem inspired his music

George Jones, arguably the best voice in the history of country music, had a well-documented battle with alcohol. His struggles with addiction became part of the "No Show Jones" mythology, earning him the nickname due to missing over 50 shows in one year.

Jones' drinking problem was often the subject of his music. In "No Show Jones", he poked fun at himself and other country singers. In "Ya Ba Da Ba Do (And So Are You)", he sang about drinking alone and the loss of a partner. In "I Just Don't Give a Damn", he sang about the loneliness, failure, and worries that come with drinking.

Jones' father was a heavy drinker, and often demanded that a young Jones sing for him when he came home drunk in the middle of the night. This early exposure to alcohol and its effects may have influenced Jones' own drinking habits and his tendency to write and sing about them.

Jones' drinking also influenced his behaviour and relationships. He was known to be friendly and down-to-earth when sober, but when drinking, he became someone else entirely, even becoming violent on occasion. His drinking was a significant factor in the breakdown of his marriages.

Despite his struggles, Jones managed to stay sober for several years at a time and continued to create music. He credited his wife, Nancy, for helping him overcome his demons, and in 1999, after a severe car crash, he gave up drinking for good.

Jones' DUI crash in 1999

On March 6, 1999, George Jones crashed his SUV near his home in Franklin, Tennessee. He was driving and talking on his cell phone with his daughter when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a concrete bridge railing. It took rescue crews nearly two hours to extract Jones from the wreckage, and he was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, where he spent 13 days in the hospital, many of them in critical condition.

Jones sustained severe injuries, including a collapsed lung, internal bleeding, and a liver injury that doctors found particularly worrying. He was put on a ventilator and spent time in intensive care.

Authorities discovered an open pint bottle of vodka under the passenger seat of Jones' SUV, and two months after the crash, he pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and violating the open container law. He was also initially charged with reckless driving, but this charge was dismissed after he completed alcohol counselling and stayed out of trouble.

Jones was fined $550 but avoided jail time. He vowed to get help for his drinking problem, saying, "I'll get my mind straight. I think there will be no more problems at all out of me."

True to his word, Jones got clean and sober and gave up smoking. He continued to tour until his death in 2013 at the age of 81. His wife, Nancy, described the 1999 crash as a pivotal turning point in Jones' bid to get sober, and he himself acknowledged that the accident put the fear of God in him and made him quit drinking and smoking for good.

Jones' recovery and sobriety

George Jones, the world's greatest country singer, had a long and torturous journey to recovery and sobriety. Jones struggled with alcoholism for much of his life, earning him the nickname "No Show Jones" after missing over 50 shows in one year due to his drinking problem.

Jones' troubles with alcohol began at a young age. His father, George Washington Jones, was a heavy drinker who would often come home drunk and force the young Jones to sing for him, threatening him with a beating if he refused. This early trauma instilled in Jones a complicated relationship with alcohol that would follow him into adulthood and his career as a musician.

Jones' drinking problem led to several failed marriages and strained relationships with his children. It also had a significant impact on his health, as years of alcoholism compromised his health and, in 1967, he had to be admitted to a neurological hospital for treatment. In 1970, he was committed to a padded cell at the Watson Clinic in Lakeland, Florida, after a drunken bender. He was kept there for ten days to detoxify and was released with a prescription for Librium.

Despite his struggles, Jones managed to find some periods of sobriety throughout his life. With the help of his wife, Nancy, and fellow Country Music Hall of Fame talent Waylon Jennings, Jones got sober in the early 1980s, which helped revive his career. However, he continued to struggle with addiction and relapsed several times.

It was a car crash in 1999 that finally convinced Jones to give up drinking for good. While driving and talking on his cell phone, Jones lost control of his SUV and crashed into a concrete bridge railing. He sustained severe injuries and had to be extracted from the vehicle by a rescue crew. This incident served as a pivotal turning point in Jones' life, and he credited his wife, Nancy, for her support in helping him overcome his demons.

Jones remained sober for the rest of his life, even giving up smoking. He continued to tour and make music until his death in 2013 at the age of 81. His recovery and sobriety journey inspired many, and he left behind a legacy as one of the greatest country singers of all time.

Jones' death from respiratory failure

George Jones, the country music legend, died of hypoxic respiratory failure at the age of 81. Hypoxic respiratory failure occurs when the body is unable to get enough oxygen for tissues to function properly. In the case of Jones, this was likely due to his long-term battle with alcoholism, which had led to him missing performances and earning him the nickname "No-Show Jones".

Jones had been hospitalised with a fever and irregular blood pressure in the days leading up to his death. He passed away at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, surrounded by his family.

Jones had a well-publicised struggle with alcohol and substance abuse, which he eventually overcame with the help of his wife, Nancy Sepulvado. Jones credited her with saving his life, as she kept him away from drugs and managed his career. Jones himself acknowledged the negative impact of alcohol on his health and career, writing in his autobiography: "I also know that a lot of my show-business peers are going to be angry after reading this book. So many have worked so hard to maintain their careers. I never took my career seriously, and yet it's flourishing."

Despite his personal struggles, Jones is remembered as one of the greatest country singers of all time, with a career spanning over five decades and more than 150 albums. His distinctive voice and phrasing set him apart, and his music influenced not only country stars but also artists like Frank Sinatra and James Taylor. Jones's music and legacy continue to be celebrated, and he will always be remembered as a giant in the country music genre.

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