George Jones

Country music legend George Jones was born in a log cabin in the small town of Saratoga, Texas, in an area known as "The Big Thicket." He was inspired by both of his parents: his father George Washington Jones played the guitar, and him mother Clara played piano. At age nine they bought him his very first guitar.

With his first guitar, started playing at social events and at church. Singing wherever he could, he could be found on street corners playing for tips like many aspiring musicians today. It was here on the streets of Texas that George got his start.

George had a rocky start in life and by the age of 24 had served in the Marines, been married twice and had already mastered the Texas world of honky-tonk bars throughout the state. In his early years George tried to sing like his idols, Hank Williams, Roy Acuff and Lefty Frizzell, but in 1955 his producer Pappy Dailey persuaded him to sing like himself. The result was his first hit song: "Why Baby Why."