George Jones Shares Christmas Joy, Drives Keith Urban's Car

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George Jones photo courtesy of Bandit Records


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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.


December 13, 2006 — George Jones and his wife, Nancy, have issued an open invitation to the gates of their Franklin home tonight for families to come see Santa and their 10,000 Christmas lights. Santa will happily pose for photos in front of the gate at George's place with anyone who brings a toy for children in Bridges, a domestic violence shelter. "Santa will deliver the toys to those children," Nancy says.

George tells The Tennessean that this is a sweet time in his life. "Ever since I quit drinking and started living a cleaner life and having such a wonderful wife and people around me, it's been great," he says. "It never was that way before. It's like being 70-something years old and waking up from a coma. But thank goodness the good Lord let me stay here to find out how it could be."

George is now driving Keith Urban's former 1994 Chevy Impala, which Keith traded in for a Bentley. "I paid too much for it, but it was Keith Urban's and I said, 'I want it,' " George says. "He's supposed to come by and autograph the dash for me."

George hasn't spoken to Keith since the Australian entered rehab, but he says he'd be glad to do whatever he can to help. "If there is any way I can talk to him about anything, I would be more than glad to because I have been down that road and I know it's not a good one," he says.

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