Capitol Words a project of the Sunlight Foundation

Rep. Marsha Blackburn

Mr. Speaker, music is in the very fiber of our being, and we are proud to continually showcase the sounds that call Tennessee ``home.'' From the serious songs of the darkest moments to the lighthearted tunes of the breeze, George Jones is one of the staples of country music. I rise today to celebrate the many chart-topping hits, the award-winning duets, and the musical accomplishments of The Possum.

It seems as if each of the past several decades have been marked by a George Jones hit. In the 1950s, it was Billboard's No. 4 ``Why Baby Why.'' In the '60s, his singles consistently hit the Top 10. 1973 brought us the Number 1 single ``We're Gonna Hold On.'' 1980 brought music fans what many call one of greatest country records of all time, ``He Stopped Loving Her Today.'' He rounded out the 20th century with the powerful ballad ``Choices,'' reminding us all of the humanity and redemption found in community. With 13 Number 1 hits, 30 Top 5s, the prized duet partner of James Taylor, Merle Haggard, Ray Charles, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, and Garth Brooks, Jones's unique country music sound is beloved the world over.

Inducted into the Country Music Hall of fame in 1992, chosen as a Kennedy Center Honors recipient in 2008, and presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, George Jones certainly has the laurels of a seasoned country music star. But you won't find him resting on those, nor will you hear his countless fans telling others of his awards. His fans and his peers speak of his fidelity to the music, to the sound, to the hard work of finding and singing the right notes of the soul.