George Jones Appears With Kenny Chesney At 2011 Concert To Sing ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’

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How George Changed Kenny’s Life

Like many of today’s country artists, Kenny Chesney was heavily influenced by the music of George Jones. Chesney got the chance to meet the country legend for the first time in 1993.

Just when he was feeling down on his luck in the country music business, Jones was there to help him along.

Chesney opened up about that monumental first meeting with Jones in an interview:

I didn’t have anything going, and then next thing you know, there I was talking to George on his plane back to Nashville,” he said. “And you know, I look up to him a lot. He’s more or less a father figure for me in this town.

A Special Moment Worth Sharing

As you well know, Chesney went on to find his place in the country music scene. Thanks to Jones’ influence and guidance, he has accumulated over 40 Top Ten country hits.

Knowing how much Jones meant to Chesney, his band helped surprise him during a concert in 2011. Jones decided to show up to surprise Chesney, and his band was in on the secret.

It seems they did a good job at keeping Jones’ appearance hush hush, because Chesney was thrilled when he saw him walk out on stage. 

To make the moment all the more memorable, Jones joined Chesney to sing his signature song, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”

The crowd went wild as Jones started singing, showing respect for him and all he had done for country music.

You can watch part of Chesney and Jones’ collaboration on “He Stopped Loving Her Today” in the clip below. Now that Jones is gone, we’re sure that Chesney will always hold this special moment close to his heart.

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About the Author

Miranda Raye

Hello, I'm Miranda, a lifelong country music fan! There are old home videos of me in my baby swing, swinging along to Dolly Parton and Ricky Van Shelton’s “Rockin’ Years.” Being able to unite my passions for storytelling, researching, and music into my work has been a dream come true.

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