OK, TGT this one is for you and all of the country music fans on NC Preps.
The year was about 1979 or 1980 and it was during what my brother refers to as his "drinking days". Some of you might be able to relate to these days.
He and his wife were finishing up an evening at the Red Lantern Lounge in Madison (Rockingham County), North Carolina. It was a little after midnight on a Saturday and the crowd was starting to drift away as the house band continued to play.
All of a sudden the patrons began to cheer and clapp their hands, some standing on their chairs to get a better view.
George Jones and Billy "Crash" Craddock were entering the building unannounced. Crash Craddock was well familiar with the area, having grown up in nearby Greensboro where he was a star running back for Rankin High School in the 1950s.
George and Crash took seats at a table next to my brother and wife. For the next 15 minutes or so various fans would come up to George and beg him to sing their favorites but the answer was always the same: "No, we're just stopping by to do a little drinking and relax".
My brother then took a napkin and wrote this "Could you please, please sing us the song about the State Champions that begins with the "old man who sold his apples". He handed the napkin to George (who was not known for his literary skills) and he just looked at it for a long, long time.
George then got up from his seat, went to the microphone, asked the band to stop playing and said this: "This young man (pointing to my brother) just asked me to sing a song almost nobody asks me to sing but its one of my favorites. So, if one of you guys (looking at the band) can find me a guitar I'll sing just this one song.)
And so, George began to sing, and drink, and sing and drink. And Crash joined in to sing some of his top hits. And George and Crash drank anything and everything they were offered.
Word got out that George Jones was preforming at the Red Lantern Lounge and the place started to fill up quickly. Security had to keep the fans from storming the joint.
For the next two or three hours George Jones played every request anyone asked of him and answered every question the fans asked. My brother says the more he drank the better he sang his songs.
The show finally ended something after 3 am. To this day my brother says it was one of the most amazing experiences of his life. He loves to tell that story.
Maybe one of you technocrats can find a video of that song and post it here so we can all enjoy the song along with this story of times and people gone by and a great entertainer whose shows I always loved to attend.
The year was about 1979 or 1980 and it was during what my brother refers to as his "drinking days". Some of you might be able to relate to these days.
He and his wife were finishing up an evening at the Red Lantern Lounge in Madison (Rockingham County), North Carolina. It was a little after midnight on a Saturday and the crowd was starting to drift away as the house band continued to play.
All of a sudden the patrons began to cheer and clapp their hands, some standing on their chairs to get a better view.
George Jones and Billy "Crash" Craddock were entering the building unannounced. Crash Craddock was well familiar with the area, having grown up in nearby Greensboro where he was a star running back for Rankin High School in the 1950s.
George and Crash took seats at a table next to my brother and wife. For the next 15 minutes or so various fans would come up to George and beg him to sing their favorites but the answer was always the same: "No, we're just stopping by to do a little drinking and relax".
My brother then took a napkin and wrote this "Could you please, please sing us the song about the State Champions that begins with the "old man who sold his apples". He handed the napkin to George (who was not known for his literary skills) and he just looked at it for a long, long time.
George then got up from his seat, went to the microphone, asked the band to stop playing and said this: "This young man (pointing to my brother) just asked me to sing a song almost nobody asks me to sing but its one of my favorites. So, if one of you guys (looking at the band) can find me a guitar I'll sing just this one song.)
And so, George began to sing, and drink, and sing and drink. And Crash joined in to sing some of his top hits. And George and Crash drank anything and everything they were offered.
Word got out that George Jones was preforming at the Red Lantern Lounge and the place started to fill up quickly. Security had to keep the fans from storming the joint.
For the next two or three hours George Jones played every request anyone asked of him and answered every question the fans asked. My brother says the more he drank the better he sang his songs.
The show finally ended something after 3 am. To this day my brother says it was one of the most amazing experiences of his life. He loves to tell that story.
Maybe one of you technocrats can find a video of that song and post it here so we can all enjoy the song along with this story of times and people gone by and a great entertainer whose shows I always loved to attend.
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