NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — With a run of hits that's tough to match, George Jones earned the title of country music legend. A big event Tuesday was the arrival of something pretty great to honor that legacy.
The Ryman really is important to the story of George Jones. George grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio, and by the time he was 11, the Opry was being performed at the Ryman.
"How often do you think he played on this stage?" I asked his wife Nancy Jones.
"Oh gosh!" she smiled. "I don't have the time to count it today, but he did quite a bit."
From those beginnings listening to the Opry, George went on to a staggeringly successful run in music with about 70 top ten hits on the country charts. Through a long career, Nancy said George always did his best shows at the Ryman.
"That's the only place I wish we could have worked every weekend because when he worked here, he did not believe in having a drink," Nancy said. "He said, 'that's the Mother Church of Country Music.'"
George Jones died in 2013. Nancy has been working ever since on projects sharing her husband's story.
The George Jones Museum and Restaurant opened in 2015. It closed in 2021, but Nancy said she's working hard now to open a museum somewhere else.
For things honoring her husband, Nancy said Tuesday was a very good day.
"I promise you that I will not give up on George Jones' legacy," Nancy said, speaking to a crowd outside the Ryman. "I will keep it going until the day I die."
The Ryman Icon Walk already has Little Jimmy Dickens, Bill Monroe, Loretta Lynn, and Charley Pride. Now, someone else joins them, someone who loved the Ryman.
A curtain was pulled back to show a statue of George Jones. The statue was sculpted by artist Ben Watts.
"I thought, golly," Nancy said. "I loved it. It makes me feel good, and I know George would say, 'well, honey. I finally made it.' That would be his answer on that. Yes, he would have loved it."
Before the statue unveiling, I had a question for Nancy.
"Do you have a favorite of his songs?" I asked her.
"Yeah, I do," she answered. "Walk Through This World With Me. That's what he used to tell me, don't ever leave me, but walk through this world with me and life will get better, and it did. The Ryman meant everything to George Jones. My opinion, y'know, I just think he's the greatest country singer ever, and I will always say that."
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
Happy Birthday to the YMCA of Middle TN. They just celebrated their 150th anniversary! A lot has changed with the Y over the years. I have personally seen some of that firsthand when I was a long-time board member at the Northwest Family Y and part of their Black Achievers Program. Forrest Sanders has a look back.
- Lelan Statom
