For six decades, George Jones was one of country music’s most revered vocalists, as well as its most infamous alcoholic. And while his personal struggles with the bottle sometimes kept “No Show Jones” from the stage, it never seemed to hurt his golden voice or his prolific recording output. And songs about drinking, including celebrations as well as laments, became a significant theme in his catalog, from the rowdy 1959 pop chart breakthrough “White Lightning” to the tragic, Jones-penned 1976 album track “A Drunk Can’t Be A Man.” He even memorialized his infamous incident of drunk driving a riding mower with the 1996 hit “Honky Tonk Song.” Whether he was drinking alone or sharing a round with Merle Haggard or Willie Nelson, here are The Possum’s greatest songs about beer, wine, and moonshine.
