George Jones with Dolly Parton, photo courtesy of Bandit Records.
Nov. 20, 2008 — Rolling Stone has developed a list just dying for debates: "The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time." And country music has plenty of names on the roster, including George Jones, who placed at No. 43.
James Taylor, who appeared at No. 74, wrote a three-paragraph celebration of the Possum, who once recorded Sweet Baby James’ "Bartender’s Blues" and even employed James as background singer on it.
"George Jones doesn’t sound like he was influenced by any other singer," James writes. "He sounds like a steel guitar. It’s the way he blends notes, the way he comes up to them and comes off them, the way he crescendos and descresendos. The dynamic of it is very tight and really controlled — it’s like carving with the voice."
Who else makes the cut? Country Music Hall of Famer Elvis Presley is at No. 3, where he’s the subject of a piece written by Robert Plant, who won a Country Music Association award last week. Others include: Johnny Cash, No. 21; Hank Williams, No. 27; Patsy Cline, No. 46; Jerry Lee Lewis, No. 67; Dolly Parton, No. 73; Merle Haggard, No. 77; Willie Nelson, No. 88; and the Everly Brothers, No. 90.
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