George Jones had an undeniable influence on country music, but even his family had to be surprised how epic his tribute concert turned out to be. More than 112 performers, and plenty of big names, showed up to play at "Playin' Possum: The Final No Show," a gig performed Friday night at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
The sellout crowd was treated to a nearly four-hour set, almost 50 songs worth of Jones classics and underrated hits, performed in a number of genre styles. Jones's presence was marked by an empty rocking chair onstage, and his backing band, The Jones Boys, played the role of the house band for the show.
As was to be expected from a tribute to Jones, emotions ran the gamut through various performances.
Vince Gill delivered a powerful rendition of "Bartender's Blues," and Alan Jackson closed out the night with Jones' biggest hit, "He Stopped Loving Her Today." The country star brought Jones' wife Nancy on stage during the performance, which tells the tale of a man who only stops loving his lost romance when he dies. One of the cross-genre performers reportedly stole the night however, when R&B performer Sam Moore sang Jones' "Blues Man" to Nancy.
There was of course, some fun reverence given to Jones as well.
Big & Rich entered the stage on riding lawnmowers, probably a reference to the time Jones was arrested for driving one to the liquor store. Brad Paisley kept his guitar nearby for his version of "The One I Loved Back Then (The Corvette Song)" and Kid Rock took a stab at "White Lightning."
Although this statement is less than official, it may be true: Co-host Charlie Chase declared the show to be "the largest tribute event in music history."
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