George Jones Writes In 1996 Autobiography That Wife Nancy Saved His Life
on Mar 03, 2016 • Updated Mar 03, 2020
How George Met The Love Of His Life
Both George Jones and Nancy Sepulvado were divorced when they met in 1981, and Nancy wasn’t even a fan of George’s music at the time. But she still decided to go with a friend to hear him play at a festival in New York one day, and that decision changed her life, and George’s.
34 Years Ago: George Jones Marries Nancy Sepulvado https://t.co/06AcJPHUS7 pic.twitter.com/qQNNozbT59
— Buckles and Bulls Brands Inc. (@BucklesandBulls) March 4, 2017
A mere matter of seconds into George’s performance, Nancy quickly changed her mind about the “Grand Tour” singer.
“My God, he walked on stage and the crowd goes wild,” Nancy told The Tennessean. “And that voice. I thought, ‘How is that coming out of that man’s mouth? Dang, he’s good.’“
Two years later, the woman who once was not a fan of George’s music became his wife. The couple married on March 4, 1983 in Woodville, Texas, at the home of George’s sister Helen Scroggins.
What George Had To Say About Her
George and Nancy were married for 30 years before George passed away on April 26, 2013. But if it wasn’t for Nancy, George felt that his time would have ended much earlier.
In his 1996 autobiography, I Lived to Tell it All, George revealed how Nancy saved his life. It’s no secret that George had his struggles, but as he shared in his book, Nancy rescued him.
1984 @ HapTownes with Bobby Braddock,Nancy & George Jones when George & I recorded "Our Love Was Ahead of Its Time" pic.twitter.com/NhnxR1VmAY
— Deborah Allen (@DeborahAllen3) July 31, 2014
“No teenage boy ever fell harder for a girl than I fell for Nancy Sepulvado. When I met my future wife on a blind date in November 1981, I had no idea that someday she would save my life…They say love can change the world. I’m here to testify that it changed one man. Friends, family, doctors, therapists and ministers had tried to save me, but to no avail. But finally the power of love from one woman, Nancy Jones, made the difference.”
And What She Had To Say About George
Two years after George’s passing, Nancy shared her side of the story with The Tennessean, saying she felt like it was her destiny to be part of his life.
“God put me with him to help him get the devil out of him,” she said. “God put me there to do a job and I did it.”
Nancy Jones on George Jones' sobriety: "God put me there to do a job & I did it" http://t.co/0hWFDDWh7V @gjpossum pic.twitter.com/G4oFdWwHhY
— Linda Zettler (@lzettler) April 22, 2015
Nancy was relentless in her quest to save George. Although he would stop at times, he would always return to his habits. But Nancy never gave up, and eventually George became almost completely sober, thanks to her.
“God told me, ‘If you leave him, he’s going to die.’ And I said, ‘You know what — you’re too good of a man to let go to hell and I’m not gonna let you do it,’” Nancy said.
Country music certainly owes a lot to Nancy, since George was able to continue making music for many years because of her determination and love.
Tune in below to watch a photo slideshow featuring pictures of George and Nancy throughout the years.
We’re sure Nancy must miss George so much, because we certainly do.
