Word's just come in from the New York Times and AP: the country music legend behind dozens of perfect songs, including "He Stopped Loving Her Today," "Tender Years" and "A Picture of Me (Without You)," died Friday in Nashville. The Saratoga, Texas native and honey-voiced singer died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after being hospitalized for fever and irregular blood pressure. He was 81 years old.
Jones' influence spanned the decades, as the AP points out: He had chart-topping songs in five separate decades. His songs ranged from the joys of small-town Saturday nights to heartbreak ballads, which in his later years became the iconic sound of pure country (see: "These Days (I Barely Get By)."
Pour one out for George.
