Merle Haggard was George Jones’ favorite country singer.
Jones and fellow singer Merle Haggard were good friends for most of their careers. Jones first heard Haggard play at the Blackboard Cafe in Bakersfield, California in 1961. The two performed several duets together including “The Way I Am” and “Yesterday’s Wine.”
“It was one of the greatest compliments of my entire life when George Jones said I was his favorite country singer,” Haggard wrote in a Rolling Stone article.
Jones continued to record music and perform concerts even into his later years. He established himself as an iconic presence in the music industry. Throughout his career, Jones won seven CMA awards. He was inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2002, Jones received the National Medal of the Arts for his long and storied career. In 2012, a year before he passed away, Jones accepted the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
After he died, Jones’ funeral was held at the Grand Ole Opry, a place he had performed at throughout his life.
“When you’re happy you enjoy the music,” Jones once said. “When you’re sad, you understand the lyrics.”