I Lived to Tell It All

George Jones fans--who should encompass any human being who loves a magnificent voice, singing songs that can be sad, poignant, funny or insightful--will love this book. George comes across as a guy without airs and with a realization of his strengths and shortcomings. You finish this book saying, After all is said and done, he seems like a simple, decent, nice guy who just wants to sing and who wants people to like him. I think George's basic humility and simplicity are not appreciated or commented on very much by critics and even fans. The way he handles himself on stage sometimes suggests he's almost embarrassed by all the attention...even after the unbelievable lifetime of achievement, awards, and appreciation.

the book every George Jones fan has been waiting for finally arrived in 1996. I Lived To Tell It All was a best-seller, hitting the Top-20 and Top-10 on many book charts both local and national. The book was designed to be a classic simply because the subject matter, George, was so reluctant to talk about his life in any serious, detailed conversations probably feeling that his life story wasn't interesting. anytime the topic came up, George would characteristically brush off the topic with phrases like "people don't want to hear about my life!" or "i don't want to bore the fans with my life-story". All his fans had were piles of negative news articles and rumors from other books and articles, nothing legitimate until this book! MCA also released a major hit album of the same name in 1996 to help promote awareness of the book. The CD was a #26 smash. In reality, the book helped promote the CD...but that's another story. This book was technically "written" by Tom Carter based and built on stories and opinions from George himself. A lot of people were interviewed for material and true stories about George. These book "sessions" as i call them came along in 1995 amidst George's reunion tour with Tammy. A lot of George's opinions on country music post 1990 is dealt with in the later chapters since each chapter deals with George's career chronologically: The beginnings are in the early chapters, the middle years are in the middle chapters, and the recent goings on are in the last chapters. His complaint is that country radio, in the wake of Garth Brooks having huge success on the Pop Album chart, decided that anyone who couldn't put up huge numbers weren't going to get airplay. George cites that country radio's lack of airplay of his singles prevents the mass audience of hearing him and as a result they won't go out and buy his albums as much as they would someone with radio support. It's a valid argument because if the public at large remains unaware that an artist has a new CD out, chances are they won't be out looking for it and potentially buy it...and without those SALES coming in, country radio won't play that artist...see how everything goes hand-in-hand? you can't have one without the other. The Porter Waggoner story is hilarious as are the escapades with Buck Owens and how George reacted to being in the "opening act" category. Another favorite story involves Johnny PayCheck and a certain trip on a tour bus where PayCheck and George get into an argument. PayCheck yells that he's gonna whip George's you know what! George agrees to step outside the bus at the next stop and they'd fight it out...PayCheck leaps out of the bus getting ready to duke it out with George...who instructs the bus driver to take off...leaving PayCheck stranded in the middle of nowhere! Later, they went back for him, thanks to George being talked into it! I howled with laughter at that story! other stories like that are in this book, all did in a style that suggests that G

Obviously, God has His hand on George Jones. Maybe George should've waited a few more years to write this book so that he could've included yet another astonishing chapter--his survival of the horrendous car accident he was in, in March of '99. This man is truly blessed with a magnificent voice and many second chances. I thank God that He has allowed George to remain with us these many years and bring us so much happiness. When you read this book, you'll know exactly what I mean when you see what all George has been through in his 68 years.

This book is the king of all autobiographies. George Jones, the greatest country singer of all time, HAS lived to tell it, but it's hard to believe. From stories about growing up in Texas with a drunk father, a religious mother, and more than a few close siblings, to tales of corrupt policemen and drug dealers holding him down and shoving cocaine up his nose, to the story of the woman who saved him and herself, this book "tells it all." In the book, George talks about cutting his first record, but only to be told by a local DJ that it's not very good. You will read about the fun times, the bad times, the drunk times, and the near fatal incidents on the road with other stars such as Johnny Cash, Faron Young, and Buck Owens. Jones writes about getting his first number one, his bouts with booze, his marriage to Tammy Wynnette, his cocaine addiction, and finally, his current wife Nancy. If you think you know George Jones, think again. This book grabs hold of you and doesn't let go as Jones, along with Tom Carter and the help of past friends and acquaintances, tells the real story behind all the news articles and rumors that you've probably heard in past years. Along with all the self exsposing stories, Jones adds his own insights, comments, and opinions about life, today's music industry, drugs and alcohol, love, and finally, self-peace. This book is a great read that will either insprire you to or totally discourage you from becoming a country singer. I strongly recommend you read this book. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You will..."live to read it all"...and you'll be glad you did!