Nancy Jones Says The Ryman Was The Only Venue She Never Worried About George Being At: “Only Place He Never Got Drunk”

George Jones‘ widow, Nancy Jones, knows that George would be proud to have a statue in front of the Mother Church of country music.

On June 3, the historic Ryman Auditorium, the first home of the Grand Ole Opry, added another legend to their outdoor Icon Walk. George Jones now stands next to other country music legends like Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe, and Little Jimmy Dickens outside the Mother Church, with his legacy in country music cemented with a bronze statue.

The statue was designed by Mississippi artist Ben Watts with the help of his widow, portraying George in his early 60s, about a decade after he and Nancy got married in 1983. Nancy Jones chose this period of time in Jones’ life because she felt like “that’s what he would have wanted.” Dressed in a detailed nudie suit, snakeskin boots, and his “favorite” guitar strap (according to Nancy) slung over his shoulder, Possum stands tall with a wide grin and his signature perfectly quaffed hair.

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To honor the Possum’s life and legacy, the Ryman held an unveiling ceremony, during which Jones’ widow, Nancy, spoke briefly about him. Nancy noted that she knows he’s smiling from above as he sees his statue in front of the sacred venue.

“I’m just so proud to be here and so happy that this is happening because George would be smiling about it. He was such a bashful person, so is his daughter over here.”

During the ceremony, where friends, family, and country music colleagues gathered, Nancy also shared some stories about George Jones at the Ryman, including that it was the only venue that she never worried about him playing.

“George would work the Ryman. It was the only place I didn’t have to worry about. I wish he could have worked here every weekend because it was the only place he never got drunk. Never. It was like, ‘That’s the Mother Church of Country Music, and you don’t drink there.’”

George Jones has a larger-than-life personality, but also had his fair share of troubles during his time in the limelight. Jones was known to struggle with alcohol addiction, among other substances. Everyone knows the infamous story of Jones getting his keys taken away so he could not drunkenly drive to the liquor store, but the man was crafty and thought outside the box, getting on his driving lawn mower to get his fix while not driving his car. After years of trying to address his addiction, Jones finally got sober in 1999, after a near-fatal car crash.

Jamey Johnson made light of his addiction during the ceremony, noting that some of the wild George Jones stories don’t even seem real.

“Some of the stories you heard just seemed almost made up and contrived… everything about George was larger than life.”

George Jones passed away due to respiratory failure at the age of 81, and his legacy has not faded one bit since his soul left the Earth. Nancy Jones admitted that for years after he passed, she was unable to listen to his music, but she shared that she can now listen to it without being overcome with sadness.

“But now I listen, and I’m like, ‘Golly, he was good!’ I can’t stop listening to it.”

Amen to that.

You can watch the statue ceremony, as well as speeches from Nancy and Jamey Johnson below:

Jones’ statue added to the Icon Walk solidifies that his legacy will never be forgotten. I think that Jones would be proud of some of the names who have played the Ryman recently, like Zach Top… he’s one of those artists who is currently embodying the Jones song “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes.”

God bless George Jones.

The post Nancy Jones Says The Ryman Was The Only Venue She Never Worried About George Being At: “Only Place He Never Got Drunk” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.