ELB remembers George Jones

(Nashville, Tennessee...) - No new artist in recent memory had the relationship with George Jones as a friend, mentor and cheerleader like singer/songwriter Eric Lee Beddingfield, and he joins the country music community in grieving over the death of his musical hero.

"George and Nancy treated my family and me like we were their own," said Eric. "I had no idea asking him to sing on one of my songs would turn into an incredible relationship I will cherish the rest of my life. As amazing as he was on stage and on record, I got to see first-hand his generosity and the incredible opportunity he gave a brand new artist like me. He was the first, the last and the only, and there will never be another one like him. I will miss him."

Eric had a dream come true two years ago, when George sang on his "The Gospel According to Jones" single, which was the most played single by an independent artist on the Music Row chart in 2011 and lead to Beddingfield being named the magazine's "Independent Artist of the Year" in 2012. "The Possum" also appeared in Beddingfield's "The Gospel According to Jones" music video, which received strong national play. The clip can be viewed here.

A chance meeting at a local restaurant offered the opportunity to put the song in George's hands.

"We were eating lunch, and half-joking about cool it would be to get George to sing on this song knowing it would probably never happen," said Eric. "We get up to leave, and George and (his wife) Nancy are sitting two tables away. I ran to the studio, made a copy of the song, brought it back to the restaurant and told them it would be an honor for George just to listen to the song. I still can't believe a couple of months later I was standing next to him in the studio listening to one of the greatest voice in country music sing on my song!"

Eric made his Grand Ole Opry debut on September 13, 2011 performing "The Gospel According to Jones" at "The Possum's" 80th birthday celebration. He also joined The Oak Ridge Boys, Alan Jackson, and Joe Diffie in singing the Jones smash "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair" on stage with George Jones that night. For the past couple of years, "The Gospel According to Jones was played at every George Jones concert just prior to Jones taking the stage.