Nancy Jones, the legendary George Jones‘ widow explicitly expressed that she is not happy with the new mural in Nashville that is said to depict a very famous scene from the late singer’s life. The new mural shows Jones on a lawnmower, presumably going to the liquor store – a story familiar to any country artist out there.
George Jones’ Widow Hates It
But Nancy Jones does not appreciate how the new mural looks, and she’s not hesitating to speak about her displeasure in a statement with Fox 17.
“Have you seen that thing?? It is plumb ugly! it doesn’t look anything like George. It is stupid, hideous, self-serving, NOT accurate and certainly not sanctioned by the estate or the museum.”
She also felt like the mural is a huge sign of disrespect for Jones and his legacy.
“George was a great writer, a great singer, and a proper mural should be about him and his music, not a mischaracterization of him on a lawnmower!”
The Inspiration
The inspiration for the mural comes from a tale that Jones himself confirmed to be true in his memoir “I Lived To Tell It All.” Read the snippet below:
“As the story goes, Jones was home alone and drinking but his wife had hidden all the vehicle keys so Jones couldn’t drive. But Jones said his wife forgot about the lawnmower. Here’s an expert from the country star’s autobiography:
Once, when I had been drunk for several days, Shirley decided she would make it physically impossible for me to buy liquor. I lived about eight miles from Beaumont and the nearest liquor store. She knew I wouldn’t walk that far to get booze, so she hid the keys to every car we owned and left.
But she forgot about the lawn mower. I can vaguely remember my anger at not being able to find keys to anything that moved and looking longingly out a window at a light that shone over our property. There, gleaming in the glow, was that ten-horsepower rotary engine under a seat; a key glistening in the ignition.
I imagine the top speed for that old mower was five miles per hour. It might have taken an hour and a half or more for me to get to the liquor store, but get there I did.”
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