On Thursday, May 2, 2013, the last voice heard live at George Jones’ funeral belonged to Alan Jackson. He stood alone on the Grand Ole Opry stage and sang “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” a song about a man’s funeral, while the man who made it famous lay in a casket covered in yellow flowers just in front of him. By the final lines, Jackson’s white cowboy hat was off.
It was the closing moment of a service that ran nearly three hours. But to understand why Alan Jackson was the one standing there, and why he walked out without saying a word, you have to go back to another night on another stage, fourteen years earlier.
The Night Alan Jackson Gave Up His Own Song
In 1999, George Jones was nominated for Single of the Year at the CMA Awards for “Choices,” a song that looked hard at his own life. Producers offered him only a shortened performance slot. Jones felt insulted and stayed home.
Alan Jackson was booked to sing his current single, “Pop a Top.” He started it, then stopped partway through and broke into the chorus of “Choices.” When he finished, he left the stage without explaining himself.
Nancy Jones, George’s widow, described that night to Whiskey Riff in 2024. She said George had refused to watch the broadcast at all, and told her to keep the TV turned down. When Jackson came on, George joined her. According to Nancy, he nearly fell out of his chair, convinced the younger singer would be kicked off the show and lose his radio play. Then he started laughing and clapping.
“He’s like, ‘That’s my boy.'” — Nancy Jones, recalling George’s reaction
Nancy said George called Jackson in his dressing room that night to thank him and to warn him he might be in trouble. Jackson’s answer, as she remembered it, was simple: he didn’t care.
Shortly after the show, Jackson explained himself in public. Most artists get asked to cut their songs, he said. But George Jones wasn’t most artists, and he deserved a little more respect.
A Wreath on the Door
George Jones died on Friday, April 26, 2013, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. He was 81. He had been hospitalized since April 18 with a fever and irregular blood pressure, and the cause of death was listed as hypoxic respiratory failure. He had been an Opry member since 1956.
His funeral was open to the public. Some fans began lining up the day before; others were in line by 3 a.m. The service started at 10 a.m., and more than 4,000 people filled the Opry House, with many more unable to get in. On the front door hung a wreath, the same image at the heart of his signature song. Nashville’s four TV stations carried the service live.
The Hours Before Jackson Sang
Tanya Tucker and the Imperials opened with “The Old Rugged Cross.” Randy Travis sang “Amazing Grace.” The Oak Ridge Boys, Charlie Daniels, Travis Tritt, Ronnie Milsap, Kid Rock, Kenny Chesney, Barbara Mandrell, Brad Paisley and Wynonna all spoke or sang.
Former First Lady Laura Bush, who sat beside Nancy Jones during the service, drew a laugh with a White House memory: she often heard “White Lightning” coming from the gym while her husband ran on the treadmill.
The most painful moment came from Vince Gill. Before singing “Go Rest High on That Mountain” with Patty Loveless, he told the crowd that “Brother George” had taught them all how to sing with a broken heart. Then his own voice kept failing him. Loveless carried the lead each time he dropped out. Midway through, Garth Brooks stood up in the front row, and the whole house stood with him. Years later, Gill admitted he simply fell apart that day.
The Last Song
Alan Jackson came last. Reporters from MusicRow described him walking to center stage without a word and starting a plain, acoustic version of “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” The crowd rose to its feet right away. When he reached the first chorus, the audience applauded, hearing what those words meant in that room.
Accounts differ slightly on exactly when the hat came off. The Associated Press reported that Jackson held his white hat over his heart for the final verse. Reuters wrote that he finished by waving it toward the heavens, tears on his cheeks. Every account agrees on what he said once the song was over: “We love you, George.”
When the Last Curtain Falls
As Jackson left the stage, a spotlight fell on the yellow-flowered casket. George Jones’ own recorded voice came over the speakers, singing “When the Last Curtain Falls,” while pallbearers, identified by The Hollywood Reporter as members of his band, carried him up the center aisle and out of the Opry House.
That afternoon, George Jones was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville.