George Jones

In his prime, George Jones was country and western’s greatest living vocalist, charting more than 30 top-10 country hits. But, back in 1955, before all the laurels, Jones was a wide-eyed, East Texas greenhorn wrestling to find his own voice. On this collection of performances recorded for the Louisiana Hayride radio show, music fans get a rare, early glimpse of Jones fleshing out his now unmistakable delivery and stage presence. An important jumping point for many country artists in the 1950s and 1960s, the Louisiana Hayride showcased the likes of Elvis Presley, Buck Owens and the Louvin Brothers, among others. Jones’ recurrent stay, spanning 13 years, earmarked his evolution from a Hank Williams-inflected honky-tonk cowpoke to the legendary note-bending crooner we know today. Influential stuff.