A hiker standing on a mountain ridge

A mountain ridge in Japan

A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:

• Dendritic ridge: In typical dissected plateau terrain, the stream drainage valleys will leave intervening ridges. These are by far the most common ridges. These ridges usually represent slightly more erosion resistant rock, but not always – they often remain because there were more joints where the valleys formed, or other chance occurrences. This type of ridge is generally somewhat random in orientation, often changing direction frequently, often with knobs at intervals on the ridge top.

• Stratigraphic ridge: In places such as the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians, long, even, straight ridges are formed because they are the uneroded remaining edges of the more resistant strata that were folded laterally. Similar ridges have formed in places such as the Black Hills, where the ridges form concentric circles around the igneous core. Sometimes these ridges are called "hogback ridges".

• Oceanic spreading ridge: In tectonic spreading zones around the world, such as at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the volcanic activity forming new plate boundary forms volcanic ridges at the spreading zone. Isostatic settling and erosion gradually reduce the elevations moving away from the zone.

• Crater ridges: Large meteorite strikes typically form large impact craters bordered by circular ridges.

• Volcanic caldera ridges: Large volcanoes often leave collapsed central calderas that are bordered by circular ridges.

• Fault ridges: Faults often form escarpments. Sometimes the tops of the escarpments form not plateaus, but slope back so that the edges of the escarpments form ridges.

• Dune ridges: In areas of large-scale dune activity, certain types of dunes result in sand ridges.

• Moraines and eskers: Glacial activity may leave ridges in the form of moraines and eskers. An arête is a thin ridge of rock that is formed by glacial erosion.

• Volcanic subglacial ridges: Many subglacial volcanoes create ridgelike formations when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet.

• Shutter ridges: A Shutter ridge is a ridge which has moved along a fault line, blocking or diverting drainage. Typically, a shutter ridge creates a valley corresponding to the alignment of the fault that produces it.

See also[link]

• Tectonic uplift

External links[link]

• InterRidge An initiative for international cooperation in ridge-crest studies

Dierks Bentley
Bentley in April 2010
Background information
Born	(1975-11-20) November 20, 1975 (age 36)[1] Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Origin	Tempe, Arizona, USA
Genres	Country, Bluegrass
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Dangling Rope, Capitol Records Nashville
Associated acts	Brett Beavers, Deric Ruttan, The Warren Brothers, Lee Kernaghan, Harley Allen
Website	www.dierks.com

Dierks Bentley (born November 20, 1975) is an American country music artist who has been signed to Capitol Records Nashville since 2003. That year, he released his self-titled debut album. Both it and its follow-up, 2005's Modern Day Drifter, are certified platinum in the United States. A third album, 2006's Long Trip Alone, is certified gold. It was followed in mid-2008 by a greatest hits package. His fourth album, Feel That Fire was released in February 2009. A bluegrass studio album, Up on the Ridge, was released on June 8, 2010, and then a sixth album, Home, followed in February 2012.

Bentley's studio albums have accounted for eighteen singles on the country singles charts, of which nine have reached No. 1: his debut single "What Was I Thinkin'", as well as "Come a Little Closer", "Settle for a Slowdown", "Every Mile a Memory", "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)", "Feel That Fire", "Sideways", "Am I the Only One", and "Home". Four more of his singles have reached Top Five on the country charts as well.

Early life[link]

Bentley was born on November 20, 1975 in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended Culver Academies. After graduating from The Lawrenceville School, Bentley spent a year at the University of Vermont before transferring to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee where he graduated in 1997.^[2][3] He was initiated into Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity while at Vermont.

Music career[link]

Dierks Bentley opening for Brad Paisley 14 Feb 2009 at Scotiabank Place, Ottawa

[edit] Dierks Bentley and Modern Day Drifter

Bentley worked at The Nashville Network (now Spike TV), researching old footage of country performances. In 2003, Capitol Nashville released Bentley's self-titled debut album. The album's first single, "What Was I Thinkin'," reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts later that year. The next two singles from that album, "My Last Name" and "How Am I Doin'," reached No. 17 and No. 4, respectively. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Bentley's second Capitol album, Modern Day Drifter, was released in 2005. It spawned two Number One singles, "Settle for a Slowdown" and "Come a Little Closer," and the Top 5 hit, "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do." The album was also certified platinum.

Later in 2005, Bentley won the CMA Award for the Horizon Award (now Best New Artist) and was invited to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. The induction took place on October 1, 2005. Bentley stands as the third youngest member after Carrie Underwood and Josh Turner.

[edit] Long Trip Alone and Greatest Hits/Every Mile a Memory 2003–2008

Bentley performing in Saginaw, Michigan, March 31, 2007

On June 10, 2006, Bentley released his third album, Long Trip Alone. The album produced two No. 1 hits, "Every Mile a Memory" in 2006 and "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)" in 2007. The title track reached No. 10 on the country charts. The fourth single from the album, "Trying to Stop Your Leaving," peaked at No. 5.

In 2007, Bentley released a live DVD titled Live and Loud at the Fillmore, which was filmed in Denver, Colorado.

In a March 2008 interview, Bentley said he would let his fans be the executive producers of his first greatest hits album, Greatest Hits/Every Mile a Memory 2003-2008. The album was released on May 6, 2008.^[4] An album cut, "Sweet & Wild," reached No. 51 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song was an uncredited duet with fellow country singer Sarah Buxton.

[edit] Feel That Fire and Up on the Ridge

Bentley's fifth studio album, Feel That Fire,^[5] was released in February 2009. Its title track, co-written by Brett Beavers and The Warren Brothers, reached Top 40 in October 2008 and became his sixth Number One in February 2009. The second single from the album, "Sideways," was released on March 2, 2009 and went on to become his seventh Number One in the summer of 2009. The album's third and final single, "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes," was released on September 13, and peaked at No. 2.

Bentley released his sixth studio album, Up on the Ridge, on June 8, 2010. The title track was released to iTunes on April 20, 2010. The song peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and became Bentley's first single to miss the Top 10 since "My Last Name." The album's second single, "Draw Me a Map," was released to radio on August 23, 2010 and peaked at No. 33, becoming his lowest-charting single to date.

[edit] Home

Bentley's seventh album, Home, was released on February 7, 2012, lead by the single, "Am I the Only One" which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Singles.^[6][7] The second single off the album is "Home", which also reached No. 1 on March 24, 2012. A third single, "5-1-5-0", was released shortly after "Home" fell from Number One on the country chart. Dierks has been quoted by American Songwriter explaining Home.He confesses, “I wrote too many songs. I wrote 70. I wrote a lot. There’s 64 that are never going to see the light of day. That’s 64 days that I can’t get back.”^[8]

Personal life[link]

Bentley married Cassidy Black on December 17, 2005 in Mexico.^[9] They live in Nashville, Tennessee, with their dogs Jake (who has appeared in a few of Dierks' videos) and George.^[10] The couple welcomed their first child, Evelyn Day Bentley (nicknamed "Evie"), on October 4, 2008.^[11] Their second daughter, Jordan Catherine Bentley, was born December 25, 2010.^[12]

Tours[link]

• High Times & Hangovers Tour
  • with Cross Canadian Ragweed
• Free and Easy Summer Tour (2007)
  • with Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean
• Throttle Wide Open Tour (2008)
  • with Luke Bryan and Bucky Covington
• Paisley Party Tour (2009)
  • with Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker
• American Saturday Night Tour (2009)
  • with Brad Paisley and Jimmy Wayne
• Up On The Ridge Tour (2010)
• Jägermeister Tour (2011)
  • with Josh Thompson
• Country and Cold Cans (2011)
  • with Jerrod Niemann and Eli Young Band

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Don't Leave Me in Love (2001)
• Dierks Bentley (2003)
• Modern Day Drifter (2005)
• Long Trip Alone (2006)
• Greatest Hits/Every Mile a Memory 2003–2008 (2008)
• Feel That Fire (2009)
• Up on the Ridge (2010)
• Home (2012)

Awards and nominations[link]

Film and television[link]

• Narrated and appeared in The Rise of Kahne (2009), a biography of NASCAR driver, Kasey Kahne. Bentley is featured in the DVD during an event benefiting the Kasey Kahne Foundation.^[14]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dierks Bentley

• Official website

Alan Jackson
Jackson in April 2010
Background information
Birth name	Alan Eugene Jackson
Born	(1958-10-17) October 17, 1958 (age 53)
Origin	Newnan, Georgia USA
Genres	Country, Neotraditional country
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Arista Nashville EMI Nashville/Alan's Country Records
Associated acts	Keith Stegall, George Strait, The Wrights, Zac Brown Band, Jeff Foxworthy, The Bellamy Brothers, George Jones
Website	www.alanjackson.com

Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista Nashville label. More than 50 of his singles have appeared on Billboard's list of the "Top 30 Country Songs". Of Jackson's entries, 35 were number-one hits, with 50 in the Top 10. He is the recipient of 2 Grammys, 16 CMA Awards, 17 ACM Awards and nominee of multiple other awards. Jackson is also a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2001.

Early life[link]

Jackson was born to Joseph Eugene Jackson and Ruth Musick in Newnan, Georgia, and has four older siblings. Jackson is of English descent.^[1][2] As a youth, Jackson listened primarily to gospel music. Otherwise he was not a major music fan. However, a friend of his introduced him to the music of Gene Watson, John Anderson and Hank Williams Jr. Jackson attended the local Elm Street Elementary and Newnan High School, starting a band after high school. After a time, he and his wife of six years, Denise Jackson, moved from Newnan to Nashville where Jackson hoped to pursue music full-time.^[3]

Jackson sang in church as a child. He, his father, mother, and four sisters lived in a small home. At one point, his bed was in the hallway for lack of room. His mother lives in the home to this day. His first job, at 12, was in a shoe store. He wrote his first song in 1983. He worked as a car salesman in his 20s.

Career[link]

This section requires expansion with: More info on each individual album, critical reception, etc. etc..

In Tennessee, Jackson got a job in The Nashville Network's mailroom.^[3] Denise connected him with Glen Campbell, who helped jumpstart his career.^[4] Jackson eventually signed with Arista.^[3] By 1989, he became the first signee to the newly-formed Arista Nashville branch of Arista Records.^[5]

Arista released Jackson's debut single, "Blue Blooded Woman", in late 1989. Although the song failed to reach top 40 on Hot Country Songs, he reached number three by early 1990 with "Here in the Real World".^[6] This song served as the title track to his debut album, Here in the Real World, which also included two more top five hits ("Wanted" and "Chasin' That Neon Rainbow") and his first number one, "I'd Love You All Over Again".^[6]

Don't Rock the Jukebox was the title of Jackson's second album. Released in 1991, it included four number-one singles: the title track, "Someday", "Dallas" and "Love's Got a Hold on You", and the number three "Midnight in Montgomery".^[6] Jackson also co-wrote several songs on Randy Travis' 1992 album High Lonesome.^[5]

A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love), his third album, accounted for the number one hits "She's Got the Rhythm (And I Got the Blues)" (which Travis co-wrote) and "Chattahoochee", plus the top five hits "Tonight I Climbed the Wall", "Mercury Blues" and "(Who Says) You Can't Have It All". "Chattahoochee" also won him the 1994 Country Music Association (CMA) awards for Single and Song of the Year.

In 1994 Jackson left his management company, Ten Ten Management, which had overseen his career up to that point, and switched to Gary Overton.^[7] His fourth album was titled Who I Am, and it contained four number one hits: a cover of the Eddie Cochran standard "Summertime Blues", followed by "Livin' on Love", "Gone Country" and "I Don't Even Know Your Name". An additional track from the album, a cover of Rodney Crowell's "Song for the Life", made number six. In late 1994, Clay Walker reached number one with "If I Could Make a Living", which Jackson co-wrote.^[8] Alan also appeared on an episode of Home Improvement, singing his hit song Mercury Blues in 1996, appearing on Tool Time to sing about his 1950 Mercury.

Mid-late 1990s[link]

"The Greatest Hits Collection" was released on October 24, 1995. The disc contained 17 hits, two newly-recorded songs ("I'll Try" and "Tall, Tall Trees"), and the song "Home" from "Here in the Real World" that had never been released as a single.^[9] These first two songs both made number one.

Everything I Love followed in 1996. Its first single was a cover of Tom T. Hall's "Little Bitty", which Jackson took to the top of the charts in late 1996. The album also included the number one hit "There Goes" and a number two cover of Charly McClain's 1980 single "Who's Cheatin' Who". The album's fifth single was "A House with No Curtains", which became his first release since 1989 to miss the top 10.^[6]

High Mileage was led off by the number four "I'll Go On Loving You". After it came the album's only number one hit, "Right on the Money", co-written by Phil Vassar.

With Jackson's release of Under the Influence in 1999, he took the double risk on an album of covers of country classics while retaining a traditional sound when a rock- and pop-tinged sound dominated country radio.^[10]

When the Country Music Association (CMA) asked George Jones to trim his act to 90 seconds for the 1999 CMA awards, Jones decided to boycott the event. In solidarity, Jackson interrupted his own song and launched into Jones's song "Choices" and then walked offstage.^[11]

2000s-present[link]

Jackson performing in 2002

After country music changed toward pop music in the 2000s, he and George Strait criticized the state of country music on the song "Murder on Music Row". The song sparked debate in the country music community about whether or not "traditional" country music was actually dead or not.^[12] Despite the fact that the song was not officially released as a single, it became the highest-charting nonseasonal album cut (not available in any retail single configuration or released as a promotional single to radio during a chart run) to appear on Hot Country Singles & Tracks in the Broadcast Data Systems era, beating the record previously held by Garth Brooks' "Belleau Wood." The duo were invited to open the 2000 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMAs) with a performance of the tune.^[13] Rolling Stone commented on Jackson's style remarking, "If Garth and Shania have raised the bar for country concerts with Kiss-style production and endless costume changes, then Alan Jackson is doing his best to return the bar to a more human level."^[14] After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jackson released "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" as a tribute to those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The song became a hit single and briefly propelled him into the mainstream spotlight.

At the 2001 CMA Awards, Jackson debuted the song "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning". The performance was generally considered the highlight of the show, and Jackson's site crashed the next day from server requests.^[15] The song came to Jackson suddenly, and had not been scheduled for any official release, but the live performance began receiving radio airplay and was soon released as a single.

Jackson released a Christmas album, titled Let It Be Christmas, October 22, 2002.^[16]

Jeannie Kendall contacted Jackson to do a duet, and he suggested the song "Timeless and True Love". It appeared on her first solo album, released in 2003.^[17]

In early 2006, Jackson released his first gospel music album entitled Precious Memories. He put together the album by the request of his mother, who enjoys religious music. Jackson considered this album a "side project" and nothing too official, but it was treated as such. Over 1.8 million albums were sold.

Only mere months after the release of Precious Memories in 2006, Jackson released his next album Like Red on a Rose, which featured a more adult contemporary/folk sound.

Unlike his previous albums, Like Red on a Rose had a different producer and sound. Alan's main producer for his music, Keith Stegall, was notably absent from this album. Instead, Alison Krauss was hired to produce the album. She also chose the songs.

Despite being labeled as "country music" or "bluegrass", Like Red on a Rose had a mainstream sound to it, upsetting some fans, even making some of them believe that Jackson was abandoning his traditional past and aiming toward a more mainstream pop sound.

However, for his next album, he went back to his country roots. Good Time was released on March 4, 2008. The album's first single, "Small Town Southern Man", was released to radio on November 19.

"Country Boy", "Sissy's Song" and the final single from the album, "I Still Like Bologna", were also released as singles.

"Sissy's Song" is dedicated to a longtime friend of the Jackson family (Leslie "Sissy" Fitzgerald) who worked in their house everyday. Fitzgerald was killed in a motorcycle accident in mid-2007.

His sixteenth studio album, Freight Train, was released on March 30, 2010. The first single was "It's Just That Way", which debuted at #50 in January 2010. "Hard Hat and a Hammer" is the album's second single, released in May 2010.

On November 23, 2010, Jackson released another greatest hits package, entitled 34 Number Ones, which features a cover of the Johnny Cash hit "Ring of Fire", as well as the duet with Zac Brown Band, "As She's Walking Away".

On Jan. 20, 2011, it was announced that Jackson and his record label, Sony, parted ways.^[18]

On March 23, 2011, Jackson announced his new deal with Capitol's EMI Records Nashville. It is a joint venture between ACR (Alan's Country Records) and Capitol. All records will be released and marketed through Capitol's EMI Records Nashville label.^[19]

Jackson has since released two singles, "Long Way to Go" and "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore." Both videos were directed by Steven Goldmann. Both songs are to be included on his upcoming studio album for his own label, Thirty Miles West, which will be released on June 5, 2012.

Awards, nominations and induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame[link]

In 1989 he was nominated for a total of six Country Music Association awards (CMAs).^[4]

He was nominated for four 1994 CMAs, including Entertainer of the Year.^[2]

Jackson became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1991; he was inducted by Roy Acuff and Randy Travis.^[20]

Jackson was the most nominated artist at the 29th annual TNN/Music City News Country Awards that was broadcast June 5 from the Grand Ole Opry House. His six nominations included best entertainer, male artist, vocal collaboration, album, single, and video (two nominations in this category).^[21]

At the 2002 CMAs, Jackson set a record for having the most nominations in a single year – ten – many rising from the song "Where Were You". It also brought his career total up to the second number of most nominations ever, after George Strait.^[22] "Where Were You" also was nominated for a Grammy for Song of the Year. The song was also subsequently parodied in the South Park episode "A Ladder To Heaven".

At the 2003 Academy of Country Music Awards, Jackson won Album of the Year for Drive and Video of the Year for the video to "Drive (For Daddy Gene)."^[23]

Jackson was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame on October 22, 2001 in Atlanta.^[24]

Alan Jackson was selected to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010

Alan Jackson Collection at Cracker Barrel[link]

In 2009, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. started to carry the "Alan Jackson Collection" which included a special release CD available exclusively at Cracker Barrel, cowboy style shirts and t-shirts, baseball caps, home goods (candles, kitchen goods) including an old-fashion wooden rocking chair that has a metal plate of Alan's autograph on the headrest; toys, spices and BBQ sauces/rubs and a replica of his own personal cowboy hat.^[25]

Ford trucks endorsement[link]

Ford's agency J. Walter Thompson USA in Detroit, in 1997, worked out with Jackson a multimillion-dollar, multi-year contract for his sole endorsement of Ford trucks. In his video for "Who's Cheatin' Who" he was behind the wheel of a "Big Foot" Ford F-150 pickup truck, and Ford's five NASCAR vehicles (at the time) were prominently featured. Additionally, he changed the lyrics "Crazy 'bout a Mercury" of the song "Mercury Blues" to "Crazy 'bout a Ford truck" in a TV ad for the Ford F-series.^[26]

Touring[link]

Jackson headlined the 1995 Fruit Of The Loom Comfort Tour, a deal worth $40 million. It began January 20 in New Orleans and ran for a hundred dates.^[27]

Alan Jackson's 2004 concert tour launched January 23 in Fort Myers, Florida and was sponsored by NAPA Auto Parts in a deal that included Jackson's endorsement in TV spots. The tour included more than 50 U.S. dates. Martina McBride was the opening for some of the shows.^[28]

In March 2011 he visited Australia to perform for the CMC Rocks The Hunter music festival where he was the headline act for Saturday night.^[29]

Band[link]

Alan Jackson's backup band (since 1989) is "The Strayhorns". The current line-up of musicians is:

• Monty Allen – acoustic guitar, harmony vocals
• Scott Coney – acoustic guitar, tic tac bass, banjo
• Robbie Flint – steel guitar
• Danny Groah – lead guitar
• Mark McClurg - fiddle, harmony vocals
• Bruce Rutherford – drums
• Joey Schmidt – keyboards
• Roger Wills – bass guitar

Personal life[link]

Jackson with his family at a ceremony to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in April 2010

Jackson married his high school sweetheart, Denise Jackson, on December 15, 1979. They are the parents of three daughters: Mattie Denise (born June 19, 1990), Alexandra Jane "Ali" (born August 23, 1993), and Dani Grace (born August 28, 1997). Although the couple separated for several months in 1998 due to the strains of Jackson's career as well as his infidelity;^[30] they have since reconciled. Their story is referenced in several of Jackson's songs, including "She Likes It Too" and "Remember When". Denise and their daughters appear in the latter song's video.

Denise Jackson wrote a book that topped The New York Times Best Seller list that covered her life with Jackson, their relationship, separation over his infidelity, and recommitment to each other, and her commitment to Christianity, the book was titled It's All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life, which was published in 2007. In May 2008 she released a Gift Book titled "The Road Home."

Jackson's nephew, Adam Wright, is also a country music singer-songwriter. Adam and his wife, Shannon, perform together as a duo called The Wrights.^[31] The Wrights co-wrote two songs and sang harmony vocals on Jackson's What I Do album.

Jackson is a cousin of Major League Baseball player Brandon Moss.^[32]

In June 2009, Jackson listed his 135-acre (0.55 km²) estate just outside of Franklin, TN for sale. The asking price was $38 million. The property sold in late May 2010 for $28 million, one of the highest prices ever for a home sale in the Nashville area.^[33] In 2010, after Alan Jackson said goodbye to Sweetbriar, his estate just outside of Franklin, the singer then moved into a slightly smaller but equally luxurious home in the same Nashville suburb. The singer and his wife paid $3.675 million for the estate in June 2010, but less than a year later, they’ve listed the home for $3.995 million. ^[34]

Jackson maintains a close friendship with fellow country singer, George Jones. Jones has been mentioned in songs such as "Don't Rock the Jukebox" (Jones also appeared in the video which accompanied it) and "Murder on Music Row". The song "Just Playin' Possum" is dedicated to Jones and talks of how Alan only wants to lie low and play possum, possum referring to George Jones. Jones can also be seen in the video for "Good Time". In 2008, Jones was a surprise guest at Jackson's "CMT Giants" ceremony, where he thanked Jackson for his friendship. He's also close friends with George Strait, who sang "Murder On Music Row" with him. Besides his associations with big stars, Alan also maintains his connections to his roots and old friends.^[35] From his early days of playing the guitar with his old high school friend and fellow musician David "Bird" Burgess, on the Burgess' family front porch, it was evident Alan was going to be Newnan's rising star.^[35] While Bird Burgess has left the country music scene to pursue other avenues, the two have remained friends.^[35] As further evidence to his strong connection to his roots, Alan has given back to the community of Newnan, and in response the city of Newnan dedicated a major thoroughfare the Alan Jackson Highway.

As of February 2012, Jackson's introduction paragraph along with the Early Life paragraph from this Wikipedia article are repeatedly printed in the showroom books in the IKEA store in the municipality of Tianjin in The People's Republic of China.

Discography[link]

Awards[link]

American Music Awards

• American Music Award for Favorite Country Single 1993; "Chattahoochee"
• 1993 Favorite Country Album – "A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love)"

Academy of Country Music

• 1990 Top New Male Vocalist
• 1991 Album of the Year – "Don't Rock the Jukebox"
• 1991 Single of the Year – "Don't Rock the Jukebox"
• 1993 Album of the Year – "A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love)"
• 1993 Single of the Year – "Chattahoochee"
• 1994 Top Male Vocalist
• 1995 Top Male Vocalist
• 2001 Single of the Year – "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"
• 2001 Song of the Year – "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"
• 2001 Top Male Vocalist
• 2002 Album of the Year – "Drive"
• 2002 Video of the Year – "Drive (For Daddy Gene)"
• 2003 Single of the Year – "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"
• 2003 Vocal Event of the Year with Jimmy Buffett – "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"

Country Music Association

• 1992 Music Video of the Year – "Midnight in Montgomery"
• 1993 Music Video of the Year – "Chattahoochee"
• 1993 Single of the Year – "Chattahoochee"
• 1993 Vocal Event of the Year - "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair"
• 1994 Song of the Year with Jim McBride – "Chattahoochee"
• 1995 Entertainer of the Year
• 2000 Vocal Event of the Year - "Murder on Music Row"
• 2002 Album of the Year – "Drive"
• 2002 Male Vocalist of the Year
• 2002 Entertainer of the Year
• 2002 Single of the Year – "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"
• 2002 Song of the Year – "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"
• 2003 Entertainer of the Year
• 2003 Male Vocalist of the Year
• 2003 Vocal Event of the Year with Jimmy Buffett – "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"

Grammy Awards

• 2002 Best Country Song – "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"
• 2011 Best Country Collaboration with Vocals- "As She's Walking Away", with Zac Brown Band

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Alan Jackson website
• Official Music Videos
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0603581/

George Jones
Jones performing at Harrah's Metropolis in Metropolis, Illinois in June 2002
Background information
Birth name	George Glenn Jones
Also known as	No Show Jones[1] The Possum[1]
Born	(1931-09-12) September 12, 1931 (age 80) Saratoga, Texas, USA
Origin	Vidor, Texas, USA
Genres	Country
Occupations	singer-songwriter
Instruments	acoustic guitar vocals
Years active	1954–present
Labels	Starday Mercury United Artists Musicor Epic MCA Nashville Asylum Bandit
Associated acts	Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard
Website	www.GeorgeJones.com

George Glenn Jones (born September 12, 1931) is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette.

Over the past 20 years, Jones has frequently been referred to as the greatest living country singer.^[2][3] Country music scholar Bill C. Malone writes, "For the two or three minutes consumed by a song, Jones immerses himself so completely in its lyrics, and in the mood it conveys, that the listener can scarcely avoid becoming similarly involved."

Throughout his long career, Jones made headlines often as much for tales of his drinking, stormy relationships with women, and violent rages as for his prolific career of making records and touring. His wild lifestyle led to Jones missing many performances, earning him the nickname "No Show Jones."^[1] With the help of his fourth wife, Nancy, he has been sober for over 10 years. Jones has had more than 150 hits during his career, both as a solo artist and in duets with other artists. The shape of his nose and facial features have given Jones the nickname "The Possum." Jones said in an interview that he has chosen to tour only about 60 dates a year.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

George Glenn Jones was born on September 12, 1931 in Saratoga, Texas, and was raised in Vidor, Texas, with his brother and five sisters.^[4] When he was seven, his parents bought a radio and he heard country music for the first time. Given a guitar when he was nine, Jones was soon busking for money on the streets of Beaumont.

He left home at 16 and went to Jasper, Texas, where he sang and played on the radio station. He married his first wife Dorothy when he was 19, but they divorced within a year. The Korean War was underway, and he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He was stationed in California for his entire service. Not long after his discharge, his music career took off.^[5]

Wild years[link]

Jones's identity was closely tied to his alcoholism. One of the best known stories of Jones' drinking days happened when he was married to his second wife, Shirley Corley. Jones recalled Shirley making it physically impossible for him to travel to Beaumont, located 8 miles away, and buy liquor. Because Jones would not walk that far, she would hide the keys to each of their cars they owned before leaving. She, however, did not hide the keys to the lawn mower. Jones recollects being upset at not being able to find any keys before looking out the window and at a light that shone over their property. He then described his thoughts, saying: "There, gleaming in the glow, was that ten-horsepower rotary engine under a seat. A key glistening in the ignition. I imagine the top speed for that old mower was five miles per hour. It might have taken an hour and a half or more for me to get to the liquor store, but get there I did."^[6]

In her 1979 autobiography, former wife Tammy Wynette recalled waking at 1 AM to find her husband gone: "I got into the car and drove to the nearest bar 10 miles away. When I pulled into the parking lot there sat our rider-mower right by the entrance. He'd driven that mower right down a main highway. He looked up and saw me and said, `Well, fellas, here she is now. My little wife, I told you she'd come after me.'"^[7]

Jones later jokingly sang of the lawn mower incident in his 1996 single "Honky Tonk Song", and parodied his arrest in the music video.

In the 1970s, a manager introduced Jones to cocaine before a show, because he was too tired to perform. His self-destructive behavior brought him close to death and he was in an Alabama psychiatric hospital by the end of the decade. Celebrated by some of his fans as the hard-drinkin', fast-livin' spiritual-son of his idol, Hank Williams, Jones missed so many engagements that he gained the nickname of "No-Show Jones." (The song "No-Show Jones" makes fun of Jones and other country singers.) He was often penniless and admits that Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash came to his financial aid during this time.

Poking fun at his past, three country music videos would feature Jones arriving on a riding lawn mower. The first was Hank Williams, Jr's "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" in 1984 while the second was Vince Gill's "One More Last Chance" in 1993. Gill's song mentioned the mower with the lines "She might have took my car keys, but she forgot about my old John Deere." At the end of Gill's video, he is leaving the golf course on a John Deere tractor and greets Jones with "Hey, possum." Jones, arriving at the golf course driving a John Deere riding lawn mower with a set of golf clubs mounted behind him, replies to Gill "Hey, sweet pea." The third is John Rich's "Country Done Come to Town" and shows George mowing grass on the rooftop on a zero turn mower.

The Jones Boys band[link]

George Jones has had many great musicians over the years, with many finding much success in Nashville as session players and singers. These singers include: Hank Singer, Brittany Allyn, Sonny Curtis, Ron Gaddis, Kent Goodson, Bobby Burkhead, Dan Schafer^[8] and Steve Hinson.

Marriages[link]

Jones was married twice before he was 24. His 1950 marriage to Dorothy Bonvillion lasted a year, but they had a daughter, Susan. In 1954, Jones married Shirley Ann Corley. This marriage lasted until 1968 and produced two sons, Jeffrey and Bryan. He married Tammy Wynette in 1969. They stayed married for six years and had a daughter, Tamala Georgette. As Georgette Jones, she is a country singer and has performed on stage with her father. Jones married his current wife, Nancy Sepulvado, on March 4, 1983 in Woodville, Texas. Nancy became his manager. Jones credits his wife Nancy for rescuing him from drinking and cocaine. They now live in Franklin, Tennessee.

Wives[link]

• Dorothy Bonvillion (1950 – 1951) (divorced) 1 daughter
• Shirley Ann Corley (September 14, 1954 – June 11, 1968) (divorced) 2 sons
• Tammy Wynette (February 16, 1969 – March 13, 1975) (divorced) 1 daughter
• Nancy Sepulvado (March 4, 1983 – present)

Awards and honors[link]

Jones has received many honors during his long career, from Most Promising New Country Vocalist in 1956, being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992, and being named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2008. In 2012 he was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award. At the ceremony his longtime friend Merle Haggard paid tribute to him.^[9]

He served as judge in 2008 for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.^[10]

Number one country hits[link]

1. "White Lightning" (1959)
2. "Tender Years" (1961)
3. "She Thinks I Still Care" (1962)
4. "Walk Through This World with Me" (1967)
5. "We're Gonna Hold On" (with Tammy Wynette) (1973)
6. "The Grand Tour (song)" (1974)
7. "The Door (George Jones song)" (1975)
8. "Golden Ring (song)" (with Tammy Wynette) (1976)
9. "Near You" (with Tammy Wynette) (1977)
10. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" (1980)
11. "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool" (with Barbara Mandrell) (1981)
12. "Still Doin' Time" (1981)
13. "Yesterday's Wine" (with Merle Haggard) (1982)
14. "I Always Get Lucky with You" (1983)

Discography[link]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	United States Marine Corps portal

• Academy of Country Music
• List of country musicians
• Country Music Association
• List of best-selling music artists
• Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame (1992 inductee)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• I Lived to Tell it All, George Jones with Tom Carter, Dell Publishing, 1997, ISBN 0-440-22373-3
• In The Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music, Nicholas Dawidoff, Vintage Books, 1998, ISBN 0-375-70082-X
• Country Music U.S.A., Bill C. Malone, University of Texas Press, 1985, ISBN 0-292-71096-8
• Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs, 1944 to 2005, Record Research, Inc., Menomonee Falls, WS, 2005, ISBN 0-89820-165-9

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: George Jones (musician)

• Official Website
• A Tribute to the Greatest Country Song of All Time
• Official MySpace
• George Jones Country Sausage
• Record Label
• at the Country Music Hall of Fame