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George Jones Biography
In terms of sheer dramatic power, George Jones is arguably the greatest singer in the history of country music. He's never been country's most versatile singer, but when he meets a lyric worthy of him, he transforms it into high art.
George Glenn Jones was born Sept. 12, 1931, in the East Texas community of Saratoga. Raised by an alcoholic father and a legendarily patient mother, he sang for tips on the streets of nearby Beaumont as a kid. He became good enough to earn himself spots on local radio in the late 1940s, beginning with KTXJ in Jasper and then moving on to KRIC in Beaumont. It was while singing at the latter station that he met, albeit briefly, one of his idols -- Hank Williams -- who was there to promote a show.
Jones married Dorothy Bonvillion in 1950, his first of four wives. They divorced about year later. After that, Jones joined the Marines and served in Korea. In 1954, he cut his first record, "No Money in This Deal," for Starday Records. That same year, he married Shirley Ann Corley. That union lasted until 1968, the year before he married Tammy
Wynette. His marriage to Wynette ended in 1975. He married his current wife, Nancy Sepulveda, who also became his manager, in 1983.Still on
Starday, Jones had his first chart hit in 1955 with "Why Baby Why," a song he co-wrote. It reached No. 4 in Billboard. In 1956, he scored a No. 3 on Starday with "Just One More." From
Starday, Jones moved to Mercury, where he experimented with rockabilly under the name "Thumper Jones." He had his first country No.
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