In George Jones' funeral, which was broadcast on cable live from the Grand Ole Opry House, Brad Paisley noted that there might be young folks listening who might never had heard George Jones' music and who would wonder what the ruckus was all about. He implored them to check his music out, and that of all the country greats that started it all. He was right.
While I still consider Hank Williams to be the standard-bearer for traditional country music (faith, heartache, and other real-life human stories), I voted for George Jones. His music spanned more than 50 years.
Elvis opened for HIM. He went through rockabilly ("White Lightnin'"), spirituals ("Amazing Grace" and some duets with Melba Montgomery), love and heartache (Melba's other duets; and of course Tammy Wynette duets, "Golden Ring"; "The Grand Tour"), and of course the greatest country song of all time, "He Stopped Loving Her Today." That man could wring emotion out of a paper napkin.
Of course I love all of the others, for their emotion and grit as well as some of the fun, but George is the winner, I think. Loretta Lynn was also a hallmark, especially for women. Her songs were bold and just as timely as anything that Janis Joplin ever sang. And Jerry Reed was under-rated, especially as a guitar player. (Check out, "Guitar Man," by Elvis Presley: That is Jerry on the guitar, not Elvis.)
Others I liked: Marty Robbins ("El Paso" and a lot of fun), Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, The Carter Family, Roy Acuff, and Dolly Parton, Bobby Bare, and Roger Miller (who wrote the songs for Disney's Robin Hood).
The same reason I became a metalhead. \m/ >< \m/ ^^^"The Ace of Spades, the Ace of Spades..."
