George jones bio biography book
Cocaine and Rhinestones: A History of George Jones and Tammy Wynette
About the Author
Tyler Mahan Coe is the host, writer, and producer of the podcast Cocaine & Rhinestones: The History of Country Music. Within a year of debut the program’s first season rose from country fan favorite to international phenomenon, becoming the #1 music podcast on Apple’s charts in the US and UK simultaneously. The show remains an independent, one-man operation. A former touring guitarist, Tyler lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Wayne White is an artist, art director, illustrator, and puppeteer. Born and raised in Chattanooga, Wayne has used his memories of the South to create inspired works for film, television, and the fine art world. He has worked as an illustrator for The New York Times, Raw Magazine, and the Village Voice, and in 1986 became a designer for the hit television show Pee-wee’s Playhouse, where his work won three Emmys. He also worked in the music video industry, winning Billboard and MTV Music Video Awards as an art director for seminal music videos including The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight” and Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time.” His life and career are the subjects of the book Maybe Now I’ll Get the Respect I So Richly Deserve and the documentary Beauty Is Embarrassing. Wayne is married to cartoonist and writer Mimi Pond. They live in Los Angeles.
I Lived to Tell It All
I loved the stories of his childhood in rural Texas during the depression, the anecdotes about Faron Young, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Porter Wagoner, etc. Possum has been to hell and back and you gotta give the guy some credit. It's so tempting to give a nugget of some of the particularly bizarro stuff, but better to read it for yourself - it's so worth it.
After I finished reading last night I called my mom up to discuss some of the stuff I read, as she and I and a former stepfather lived in Nashville for a year when I was in 7th grade. The building she worked in also housed the office of Faron Young, whom we both met, and my stepfather was a security guard at Waylon's house. As a teenager I was big into David Bowie and The Pretenders, wanted nothing to do with country music, and had no idea who any of these guys even were. Ah the ignorance of youth - I would never have dreamed that years later I would be singing country music myself and listening to the old greats. Mom tells me that we saw George Jones having lunch with Porter Wagoner in a Shoney's restaurant. I have no recollection of it because I'm sure I rolled my eyes when she pointed them out and had no clue who they were.
Anyway, Jonesy is no Hemingway but he's sure got one hell of a story to tell.
3 Books Every George Jones Fan Should Read
Known for his discernible drawl and traditionalist sound, George Jones carved his own path through country music history. One of the genre’s earliest and most prominent artists, he persevered through many career highs and personal lows.
Over the decades, Jones navigated through cultural changes, battled with substance issues, and experienced the blossoming and dissolution of three marriages. He earned the nickname “No Show Jones” for his reputation of missing shows and “The Possum” for his distinctive facial features.
But more than anything, Jones was known for his endless passion for country music. That creative drive led him to record 80 studio albums, earn 13 No. 1 hits, and an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
[RELATED: 3 George Jones Classics You Didn’t Know He Wrote with Tammy Wynette]
On September 12, Jones’s widow, Nancy, will release her first book, Playin’ Possum: My Memories of George Jones. The memoir reflects on their 30-year marriage, from lighthearted memories to intimate recollections of Jones’ darkest moments.
In the meantime, we’ve curated a list of insightful and captivating releases about the country music hitmaker. From a daughter’s revealing recollections to a colorful memoir, here are three George Jones books that are essential reads.
1. The Grand Tour: The Life and Music of George Jones
Music journalist Rich Kienzle supplies an outsider’s perspective on Jones’ life with his 2016 biography. The Grand Tour summarizes the late country star’s greatest accomplishments while putting a thoughtful emphasis on Jones’ most personal struggles and highly publicized dust-ups.
2. The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George
George Jones and Tammy Wynette were a powerhouse couple in terms of talent. Still, their love for one another couldn’t withstand the chal George Jones has never been short on love from country music fans, but his place in the culture at large has never been chronicled to it’s proper stature. Well all of that is about to change with the release of two biopic films, and finally a cradle-to-grave biography on The Possum’s life. The Grand Tour:The Life and Music of George Jones written by music journalist and country historian Rich Kienzle is set to be released on April 1st via Dey Street Books, a division of HarperCollins. The 320-page biography will cover George’s life from an impoverished childhood growing up in East Texas, being raised by by a devoutly-religious, but alcoholic mother and an often-abusive father, his multiple tumultuous marriages including to Tammy Wynette, his alcohol and cocaine abuse that almost killed him, and his marriage to his fourth wife Nancy. The Grand Tour will also cover the ups and downs of George’s recording career, his place in country music history, and how he became increasingly frustrated with the wayward direction of country music later in his life. Rich Kienzle is said to have culled through reams of governmental records and archival material for the biography, interviewed producers, musicians, industry types, and friends and admirers of George Jones to be able to offer the definitive story on his entire life. The book also includes eight pages of photos, and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and digital reader versions. The news comes as two separate movies on the life of George Jones are in the pipeline. No Show Jones written by Alan Wenkus is being produced by 28 Entertainment out of Los Angeles, and a movie focusing more on the relationship between George and Tammy Wynette starring Josh Brolin and Jessica Chastain is also in production. © 2025 Saving Finally, The Definitive Cradle-to-Grave Biography on George Jones to Be Released
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