Died On This Date (April 26, 2013) George Jones / Country Music Legend
themusicsover George Jones
September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013
George Jones was country music, period. Born in Saratoga, Texas, Jones took to country music as early as 7 years old. He was given his first guitar at nine, and when he turned 16, he left home to pursue his career in music. After serving in California during the Korean War, Jones’ career sped into overdrive. His first hit, “White Lightning” came in 1959, and for the next fifty years, he had at least one every year. His wild days are legendary, in fact, he was so often late for his own concerts due in part to his indiscretions, one of a handful of his nicknames was No Show Jones. Another was The Possum, but the name that has been tagged to him for over two decades prior to his death is the most fitting, The Greatest Living Country Singer. Such a great singer in fact, that the late great Waylon Jennings included the line, “If we all could sound like we wanted to, we’d all sound like George Jones” in his hit, “It’s Alright.” The list of Jones’ achievements and awards is staggering. The first one came in 1956 when Billboard named him the years Most Promising Artist. Several Grammys followed, as did Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association awards. In 2002, he was recognized with a U.S. National Medal Of Arts, and in 2008, he was a Kennedy Center Honoree. On April 18, 2013, George Jones was admitted to the hospital suffering from a fever and irregular blood pressure. On April 26, 2013, he passed away at the age of 81. He stopped loving her today.
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Rita MacNeil was a popular Canadian folk and country singer who had the honor of outselling both Garth Brooks and Clint Black in Canada during 1990, at the height of their careers. Born and raised on the eastern tip of Nova Scotia, the incredibly shy MacNeil was 27 when she first performed on stage – relatively late by pop music standards. The year was 1971, and within just a few years, she recorded her first album and was becoming a popular draw along the Canadian folk festival circuit. Based on her growing popularity and work on behalf of women’s rights, MacNeil was secretly spied upon by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Security Service on the unwarranted suspicion that she had communist ties. Her first single of note was 1986’s “Flying On Your Own” which reached #42 on the Canadian charts and was covered by Anne Murray the following year. MacNeil went on to have numerous hits throughout the ’80s and ’90s, both in Canada and the UK. In all, she released 24 albums which sold in the millions. During the mid ’90s, MacNeil hosted her own CBC variety show, Rita And Friends. Over the course of her career, she was recognized with a Juno, five honorary doctorates, and was a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia. On April 16, 2013, Rita MacNeil died unexpectedly from complications of a surgery. She was 68.
Hardrock Gunter was an American country singer, songwriter and guitarist whose rave-ups are considered to be the earliest examples of rock ‘n roll and rockabilly. After playing in a few bands during his teens, Gunter took a shine to television and became a local TV personality for a bit. In 1950, he cut his self-penned “Birmingham Bounce” which came out a year before “Rocket 88,” the song that is generally credited as being the first rock ‘n roll song ever. More records followed, including “Sixty Minute Man” which was one of the first country songs to cross over to R&B. Gunter continued to record and perform until he retired from music during the ’60s to get into the insurance business. During the mid ’90s, he returned to the stage to perform at festivals and rockabilly events throughout Europe and the U.S. Hardrock Gunter was 88 when he died of pneumonia on March 15, 2013.
Claude King was a popular country singer throughout the ’60s and ’70s. Born near Shreveport, Louisiana, King was just 12 years old when he picked up the guitar. During the ’50s, he became a regular on the widely popular radio program, Louisiana Hayride, often sharing the bill with the likes of 
Stompin’ Tom Connors was a Canadian country and folk singer-songwriter who reportedly penned over 300 songs and released some 50 albums totaling over 4 million copies sold. At the age of 15, Connors left home to hitchhike across Canada, writing songs on his guitar along the way. During his last stop, he was short on cash to buy himself a beer, so the hotel’s barkeep said he’d give him the beer if he’d sing a few songs. That turned into a 13-week run at the hotel, a weekly spot on the local radio station, and several recordings. Throughout his career, Connors wrote and recorded numerous popular songs. His “The Consumer” was used as the theme song for a popular CBC program, while his “The Hockey Song” became an arena favorite throughout the NHL. In 1978, Connors retired to his farm in protest over policies of the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission. He reactivated his career in 1988 and continued to perform and record up until his final years. Connors is ranked # 13 on The Greatest Canadian list and was pictured on a 2009 Canadian postage stamp. Stompin’ Tom Connors was 77 when he died of natural causes on March 6, 2013.