Country legends, George Jones and Randy Travis, went WAY back.
With two of the most unique voices in country music’s history, it’s easy to understand why the two were drawn to each other, and as it turns out they shared a great deal of respect for one another’s artistry.
In 1991, George and Randy appeared on an episode of HBO’s Influences show, where George Jones shared a time when he almost “quit the business” until he heard Randy Travis’s song, “On The Other Hand.”
George shared that the song renewed his hope and made him decide to keep trucking in the industry, a phenomenal compliment to Randy Travis’s music.
A year previous, Randy Travis released collaborative track “A Few Ole Country Boys” with George Jones, and the song is an iconic symbol of their friendship.
Randy paid tribute to his idol with the opening verse:
“Not too many years ago
When dreams weren’t coming true
I’d reach for inspiration
Sometimes it would be you
I’d hear you on the radio
I sure did like your sound
Say it’s good to know there’s still
A few ol’ country boys around…”
And George Jones returned his glowing first impression of Randy Travis in the following verse:
“From the smoke it’s hard to tell
What’s coming down the line
We heard you were a fast train
Coming out of Caroline
We wondered what you were haulin’
When you rolled into to town
Say it’s good to know there’s still
A few ol’ country boys around…”
It’s almost unbelievable how great these two sounded live.
In the words of George Jones himself, who is ever going to fill their shoes?! Man, how country music could use a dynamic duo like this today.
