Georgette Jones, Daughter Of Tammy Wynette And George Jones, To Honor Her Mother’s Legacy At The Grand Ole Opry
“The Opry and the Ryman were very important to mom,” Georgette explains.
Georgette Jones, Daughter of George Jones and Tammy Wynette; Photos Courtesy Georgette Jones
Singer-Songwriter Georgette Jones, daughter of late music icons Tammy Wynette and George Jones, is slated to return to the Grand Ole Opry stage on April 6. On this momentous night, Jones plans to honor her mother’s passing twenty-five years ago by performing Wynette’s “My Man” and “Till I Can Make It On My Own.”
“The Opry and the Ryman were very important to mom,” Jones shared in a press release. “She grew up listening to the Opry on WSM and always dreamed of having the honor of playing there. It really meant the world to her to stand in the circle and to be part of the Opry family.”
Wynette and George Jones tied the knot on February 16, 1969, and in 1970, Wynette welcomed her fourth daughter, Georgette. The country music legend died of a blood clot at 55 years old.
After her passing, she was honored with a nationally televised service, which was broadcast from the Ryman Auditorium on April 9, 1998. Randy Travis, the Oak Ridge Boys, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Wynonna, and Lorrie Morgan are some of the iconic names that appeared in the memorial.
Georgette has earned the nickname “Country Music’s First Princess” as her parents were named the “President and First Lady” of country music. Growing up immersed in the industry means that Georgette spent plenty of time learning her way around the Opry from a young age.
“As a child, I ran the halls backstage along with many other artists’ children and grandchildren,” she continued. “I have the best memories being there not only for Opry appearances but for award and TV shows as well. It was a big extended family environment that I am grateful to have experienced.”
When asked if her mother had any favorite Opry memories, she recounted a hilarious story that showed a glimpse into the not-so-glamorous moments behind the scenes.
“Loretta, Mom, and Barbra Mandrell were all sharing a dressing room,” Jones began. “That day was Barbra Mandrell’s anniversary, and her husband Ken had just gifted her with a pair of beautiful diamond earrings. She had misplaced them in the dressing room and panicked because she couldn’t find them. She said, ‘Ken’s going to kill me, help me find them.’ So, the three country legends got on their hands and knees intent on finding the earrings.”
She continued, “Just then, Ken knocked on the door and stepped in, and a brutally honest Loretta blurted out ‘Barbra done lost her diamond earrings!’ and Barbra responded, ‘I told you not to tell him!’ and mom just fell on the floor hysterically laughing. In the end, they found the diamond earrings, and all was well, but mom always loved to tell this story even years later. Can’t you just get the visual?”
Joining Jones on the Opry stage on April 6th will be fellow country singer/songwriters Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Lauren Alaina, Lauren Mascitti, Wendy Moten, and Chuck Meade.
As a solo artist, Jones has recorded five albums: “Slightly Used Woman” (2010), “Strong Enough to Cry” (2011), “’Till I Can Make It On My Own” (2013), “This Is Christmas” (2013), and “Skin” (2019), as well as the duet with her father, “You and Me and Time.” She has also collaborated with other artists, including a duet with Billy Yates, “Golden Ring,” a duet with Mark McGuinn, “Better a Painful Ending,” which appears on McGuinn’s album “One Man’s Crazy” (2015), and “I Know What You Did Last Night” feat. Vince Gill (2019).
On top of all that, she is credited as an author and has had several on-screen roles. Jones is responsible for penning the highly acclaimed biographical book, “The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George.” This project reflects on life with her famous parents and gives the inside scope of the inner workings of the country music industry that not everyone gets to experience.
In the 2022 Showtime original series about her parents, “George & Tammy,” Jones had the opportunity to serve as a writer on two episodes. This gig allowed her to help recount the stories of her parents’ often-tragic lives in Nashville, which is largely derived from her book. In the final episode of the series, she also appeared as a backup singer.
She’s also made appearances with Leslie Jordan and Olivia Newton-John in five episodes of the 2008 television series “Sordid Lives” as her mother Tammy Wynette. Jones sang on the soundtrack for the program as well. Additionally, she was a featured artist in Episode 2 of “Jills Veranda Nashville,” a Swedish Television/Warner Brothers International Television production hosted by Jill Johnson, Sweden’s Queen of Country Music. The show is streamed on Sveriges Television AB – SVTPLAY.
Following Opry performance on April 6, Georgette Jones has a few more dates currently on the books. This summer, she will appear at the Orange Blossom Opry in Weirsdale, FL (April 28), Lazy Days Canteen & Starry Nights Amphitheater in Ingram TX (May 13), Rome, Italy (June 7), and Centerville, GA (July 15).
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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