|
His glorious voice has filled more than 150 record albums and has earned
him the Country Music Association's coveted awards for Male Vocalist
of the Year and Song of the Year for "He Stopped Loving Her Today" in both
1980 and 1981. He is considered the greatest country singer of all time, a powerful
talent that can move you with a single note.
Yet, as his fame increased, George Jones found himself unable to cope
with the demands of the high-pressure profit-machine called the music industry.
To escape, he sought comfort in drugs and alcohol. Racing down a path
of self-destruction, he became a haunted, shattered man, alienating family, friends,
and anyone else who tried to help him.
At last, the true story of George is told. From his early days as a singer
in cheap, run-down honky-tonks. to his smashing success as country music's hottest
star, Ragged But Right reveals the high price that George Jones
paid for his fame. For the first time, George talks about the "friends" who hooked
him on cocaine in order to control him. He also tells about his most desperate
days when he lived out of the back seat of his car with nothing more
than a bottle of Jack Daniels and a picture of his idol, Hank Williams.
A sensitive family man dreamed of settling down with a loving wife and children,
Georg fered three broken marriages, including one to Tammy Wynette. Ragged But Right
tells the inside story of the fairy tale marriage to Tammy, their brilliant partnership
as "Mr. and Mrs. Country Music" and the bitter divorce that left Geroge a broken man.
Through all the rough times George has never given up on his music, nor
have his fans given op on him. When he sings about the pain in his heart,
you hurt for him. When he croons about the good times, you can't help but
feel his joy. Ragged But Right is the honest portrayal of the
gifted man behind the music, and how he has become a legend in his own time.
DOLLY CARLISLE is one of only three writers ever to be named the
Country Music Association's Journalist of the Year. She has trailed George Jones
for over two years, spending many days interviewing him, as well as more
than 100 other individuals, including family members, friends, producers,
and fellow stars in the music industry. As a Special Correspondent for
People magazine, she wrote four stories on George Jones.
|