Country music's brightest stars troop to the Grand Ole Opry House funeral service for the late music icon.
- May 3, 2013
AceShowbiz - George Jones was finally laid to rest after an emotional Grand Ole Opry House funeral service in Nashville on Thursday, May 2. The fallen legend brought together country music's finest all under one roof, as they all came to celebrate his life and music either through songs or spoken sentiment, with the musical performers that morning offering their eulogies prior to delivering their moving renditions.
Randy Travis, playing with an acoustic guitar, sang the widely-popular tune "Amazing Grace" followed by The Oak Ridge Boys' performance of "Farther Along". A couple of Jones' fellow Grand Ole Opry members, Charlie Daniels and Travis Tritt, came next with their loving tributes by way of "Softly and Tenderly" and "Why Me, Lord" (by Kris Kristofferson), respectively.
Kid Rock who may seem like an unlikely guest, revealed his connection with Jones as he recalled how the veteran singer asked him to write a song for him, something that he never got to finish, before singing "The Best of Me". This was followed by a very emotional "Go Rest High on That Mountain" duet by Vince Gill and Patty Loveless, with both artists crying throughout their performance.
Brad Paisley sang Tom T. Hall's classic "Me and Jesus" after calling on those unfamiliar with Jones' legacy to seek out his music, while Ronnie Milsap did "When the Grass Grows Over Me" after declaring, "We're all here because we loved George Jones." Wynonna Judd, a longtime Jones family neighbor, dedicated the song "How Great Thou Art" before Alan Jackson took the stage to give a somber performance of "He Stopped Loving Her Today", which he ended with a warm gesture of removing his hat in honor of his mentor.
