The Best Old Country Music Singers

Here are the best old country music singers that have stood the test of time and are still going strong today.

George Jones

George Jones was an American singer-songwriter and musician who release more than one hundred singles during his lifetime. his music was considered as honky-tonk, and he was recognized for his distinctive voice and phrasing. Jones became one of the most popular vocalists of the 20th century and was known for his regular performances during the 1960s and 1970s.

His life

George Jones was born on September 12, 1931 in Saratoga, Texas. He was a country music singer and songwriter. His career spanned six decades, and he became one of the most influential artists in country music history. He achieved great success in the 1950s and 1960s with hits such as “She Thinks I Still Care”, “White Lightning”, “Tender Years”, and “He Stopped Loving Her Today”.

Jones married four times and had five children. He battled alcohol and drug addiction for much of his life, and his health declined in the 2000s. He died on April 26, 2013 at the age of 81.

His music

George Jones was an American singer-songwriter who achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best known song “He Stopped Loving Her Today”, as well as his distinctive voice and phrasing. Throughout his career, Jones was known for his drinking and often volatile personality, which resulted in several mishaps on stage and off stage.

Born in Saratoga, Texas, Jones began singing at an early age and first performed with white country artists in the local honky tonk circuit in the 1940s. He signed with Grand Ole Opry member Starday Records in 1954 and was soon performing on the Grand Ole Opry radio show. His first hit, “Why Baby Why”, peaked at number four on the country charts in 1955.

Jones married three times and fathered eight children, including George Jr., from his first marriage to Dorothy Bonvillion. His third marriage, to Nancy Sepulvado, lasted from 1983 until his death in 2013. In 1999, Jones was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard was an American country singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddle player. He was born in Oildale, California, on April 6, 1937. Haggard’s parents were Okies who had migrated to California during the Great Depression. As a teenager, Haggard was briefly incarcerated for burglary. He was released from jail in 1958, and shortly thereafter he marriedLeona Williams. Haggard and Williams had six children together.

His life

Merle Ronald Haggard was born on April 6, 1937, in Oildale, California, to James Francis Haggard and Flossie Mae (née Harp) Haggard. The couple had two more children – Lowell and Lillian – before divorcing in 1945. After the divorce, Haggard rejected his stepfather’s authority and took to truancy and running away from home. He was jailed several times before he was 16. Influenced by Lefty Frizzell, Hank Williams and Bob Wills, Haggard learned the guitar while spending time with family friends Willie Nelson and Johnny Bond. His first band was called the Pilgrim Travelers but did not gain attention until 1964 when he recorded an album called Strangers. The album featured “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive,” which became a No. 1 hit but one that would land him in hot water with police across the country as the song’s message about being on the run from jail struck too close to home for some

His music

Haggard’s music is based upon the traditional honky tonk style, but also uses elements of Western swing, rockabilly, and folk. He has frequently been referred to as “The Poet of the Common Man.” Haggard’s songs often dealt with the realities of rural existence and aging, as well as prison, poverty, and love. He had a huge success with “Okie from Muskogee,” a paean to life in Oklahoma during the Vietnam War era. Haggard’s vocals have been categorized as “outlaw country” and ” honky tonk.”

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. He was born in 1933, in Abbott, Texas. Willie Nelson has been described as an icon of outlaw country, a country singer who successfully crossed over into pop music. He is known for his work in country music, and has won several Grammy Awards.

His life

Willie Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas on April 29, 1933. He was born to Myrle and Ira Nelson. His father was a mechanic and a boxer while his mother was a housewife. Willie learned to play the guitar at a young age from his grandfather and started writing songs when he was just seven years old. He joined his first band, The Texans, when he was ten years old and toured with them for two years. After the tour, he dropped out of high school and joined the Air Force but was later discharged due to back problems.

Nelson then moved to Nashville where he met country music legend Hank Williams. Williams took Nelson under his wing and taught him everything he knew about music. Nelson then recorded his first album, And Then I Wrote, in 1962 which included his first hit single, “Crazy.” The song went on to become one of Patsy Cline’s signature songs. Nelson continued to have success in the country music industry with hits like “Hello Walls,” “Night Life,” and “Funny How Time Slips Away.”

In the 1970s, Nelson ventured into other genres of music including blues and jazz. He also starred in several movies including The Electric Horseman and Honeysuckle Rose. In 1980, he released the album Highwayman which became a huge success. The album featured Nelson dueting with country music legends Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings. The group went on to release two more albums before Jennings’ death in 2002.

Nelson is still touring today and released his most recent album, Last Man Standing, in 2018. He has won several awards throughout his career including multiple Grammy Awards and Country Music Association Awards. He was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993.

His music

Willie Nelson is an American musician, actor, and singer-songwriter. He was born in Abbott, Texas, on April 30, 1933. Nelson is one of the most respected and influential musicians of his generation. He began his career as a country singer in the 1950s, but he soon found success as a songwriter. His songs have been recorded by some of the most famous performers in the world, including Patsy Cline, Ray Price, and Merle Haggard.

Nelson’s career took off in the 1960s when he moved to Nashville and began recording albums for Atlantic Records. His first album, “Shotgun Willie,” was released in 1973 and was followed by a string of successful albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 1986, he released “Phases and Stages,” a concept album about divorce that is considered one of his finest works.

Nelson has won numerous awards during his career, including multiple Grammy Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. He was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2015, he received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress.

Nelson is still active today, touring across the United States with his band, The Family band. He released his most recent album,”Last Man Standing,” in 2018.