Anyone else see the Opossum on Letterman?

Rick Summers · Post by **Rick Summers** » 15 Nov 2006 5:18 pm

George sang "He Stopped Loving Her Today" backed by a brilliant string section. They loved him, of course, as did Dave.

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Greg Simmons · Post by **Greg Simmons** » 15 Nov 2006 6:01 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-ACRy04H68

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Ron · Post by **Ron** » 15 Nov 2006 10:48 pm

I heard him. Was not impressed. I am not a fan of Georges. Seems like he could not hit the notes on pitch. I loved His old songs but when he started trying to find the pitch like Reba than I lost interest. I switched to Jay Leno and heard some good picking!!

Robro Ron

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Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 16 Nov 2006 12:27 am

I think it's pretty cool that the guitarist in the 'Letterman house band' switched over to pedal steel for this performance! He also plays a blonde stringmaster occasionally.

As far as George Jones performance... well, he's 75 years old now and he's lost a lot, as to be expected. It's painful to hear him straining for the notes. A lot of people love George Jones and they go to his shows because he's a living legend.

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Darryl Hattenhauer · Post by **Darryl Hattenhauer** » 16 Nov 2006 12:39 am

There is great beauty in a musician, writer, athlete etc. who keeps going when he's not as great as he once was, especially when nobody now or in the future will ever be greater.

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Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 16 Nov 2006 1:01 am

Who plays steel on this version ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua3YzTLGDW4

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Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 16 Nov 2006 3:40 am

Very nicely put Darryl.

I don't recall seeing such a nice format for an artist on Letterman. That was a very nice and a very expensive set up to have all those extra musicians there. Very classy!

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 16 Nov 2006 4:27 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Who plays steel on this version ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua3YzTLGDW4<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Calvin Leiter[This message was edited by Alvin Blaine on 16 November 2006 at 04:49 AM.]

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 16 Nov 2006 6:42 am

75 years young!! WOW,,
Maybe not like it used to be,,but still George Jones and one of my all time favorites!

Larry

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Rick Summers · Post by **Rick Summers** » 16 Nov 2006 6:49 am

My 22 yo nephew, who is into "hip-hop", doesn't know anything about country, sat here on the edge of his seat and watched George sing the entire song. All he said was: "this guy is HUGE, isn't he Uncle Rick?" I was "impressed" by Karl's RESPECT for an artist honed by time and circumstance.

I suspect 'Robro Ron' would stand at the foot of Mt. Rushmore and wonder, "why didn't they cart away all that ugly scrap rock?"

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 16 Nov 2006 7:23 am

Age does take its toll. He's a shadow of his former self, but still has a grand style. I would hope any new listener would also be played one of his masterpieces when he was in his prime.

As for the steeler, I was very unimpressed and was hoping it wasn't one of our buddies here on the Forum. I guess it's nice that the staff guitarist dabbles in steel. But if you are gonna hire a whole string section to give a legend like George the works, you should go out and get a good country steeler to play it like it oughta be played. George needed all the help he could get to conjure up the former grandeur of that song. He didn't get it from that "steeler."

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 16 Nov 2006 7:42 am

I was totally impressed with the backing,the strings,the steel, and George Jones for still having the desire to perform. He recieved great respect from Dave and he will always have mine. He may not be able to reach the same notes as in years past but he certainly is still George Jones and as noted above "A living Legend".

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 16 Nov 2006 4:13 pm

...if you are gonna hire a whole string section...

Funny, that's when I (and a lot of other "country music minded" people) stopped listening to Ray Price's stuff - when he added a whole string-section!

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 16 Nov 2006 5:17 pm

I was disappointed not to see Tom Killen on the steel. He's out there with George right now, and it would have been killer to have him there. The guitarist was passable, but I've heard Tom play this one with George and it's really special.

As far as George's vocal performance, I thought it was full of passion - taking into account he's sang it about 100,000 times. The pitch problems? Anybody can have a bad night, no matter what age. His in-ears could have been malfunctioning, or he may have had a cold. All I know is that when I saw him sing this song in concert about 9 months ago, he nailed it. I think it may have been a bad night. It can't be easy out there at 75.

God bless him.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 16 Nov 2006 6:01 pm

I agree with Dave Dogett. Tom K. should have been playing steel. Letterman's guitar player was way out of his league and sounded bad. He embarrased himself. Unprofessional of him to do that to George Jones if he couldn't cut it. Its just another example of the pedal steel making mince meat out of an accomplished guitar player.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 16 Nov 2006 8:11 pm

I agree with Kevin and have the 1000 cuts to prove it.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 16 Nov 2006 8:44 pm

I bet everybody in the band thought it was great.....except George, who was probably the only person on stage who knows the difference between a good and bad steel player. Only a small fraction of the live and television audience even gave a damn that the steel was there - maybe because it was played so sheepishly. However, they would have noticed the steel if Tom had been playing, because he has the talent to turn it up and deliver - thereby making it a part of the song instead of dicking with it, as was the case in this performance.

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 16 Nov 2006 9:16 pm

I just listened to it again, and I have to say that the steel playing is pretty much on par with (maybe even a little beter than) the acoustic guitar playing and the drumming and the over playing piano.
The Bass parts didn't sound to bad, but the rest of the Paul Shaffer band sucks at trying to play country.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 16 Nov 2006 9:35 pm

Well...now that y'all have let the cat out of the bag, I'll have to agree...as good as they are, they're not really a country band. You couldn't really hear the steel, and as good as Will Lee is as a bassist, I thought he played the part kinda heavy-handed. I was reminded to compare it with the way Michael Rhodes played the same part on a TV special about GJ not that long ago...nice and easy with his thumb.
Please don't get me wrong... I think the Letterman band smokes... I've done the show a few times and watched them play live during the commercials and they really are an excellent band.
And I suspect that most, if not all of the hardcore, stone country bands out there couldn't do what the Letterman band does on a nightly basis. But yeah, it probably would have been cooler if George had used his band...especially Tom.
As far as George...you just gotta love him. A band I played with about 25 years ago opened for him a few times, and he was beyond awesome every night. You'd see tears streaming down people's faces when he would do "A Picture of Me without You". Just way beyond awesome.
I, for one, still enjoy seeing him, whomever's backing him up.

Doyle Weigold · Post by **Doyle Weigold** » 16 Nov 2006 10:01 pm

I have been a Jones fan from the first time I heard "Seasons of my heart", I've got to beleive it was just an off night, and like someone said, I think he would have done better with his own band. I did like what Letterman said at the first of the show. Something like, "George Jones is on the show tonight, and I want to tell you young guys in country music. If you can't sing like George Jones or have a song like " He stopped lovin' her today" just go back home"

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 17 Nov 2006 5:26 am

I think whats lost here is George was on a National TV show. How often does this happen for true Legends of Country music nowadays? When is the last time Leno or Letterman made that kind of an effort to spotlight a traditional Country act? When will it happen again? As musicians it's easy to pick other musicians apart however I'm glad George got to be in the spotlight,and regardless of who backed him that night a lot of people got to see George is still out there.If george had used his band no doubt he would have felt more comfortable. Irregardless he did sound better than many we have listened to on those late night "Hurry up we got three minutes left to say goodnight acts". There was no rushing here and good or bad, there was no lack of effort to back George.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 17 Nov 2006 7:42 am

Amen, Darryl H. Also, arguably the greatest (country) song ever written. I watched through my tears as Possum sang on about my father-in-law who lost his wife this past April. He lived every word.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 Nov 2006 9:10 am

Listening more closely, the steel was a little "pitchy". Since the player was wearing 'phones, he probably noticed this, and kept his volume down accordingly...a good "pro" move on his part.

George's slightly cracking and quaking voice probably added to the emotional feeling, but his missing, and then mumbling the second verse...

"Found love letters by his bed,
dated 1962.
He was...(mumble...mumble...mumble...),
ev'ry single I love you.

...was, well, unfortunate.

George is an icon, a true legend in his own time. And, so being, we have to give him his due. Not for what he did on that show (which is only a small indication of what he was at his prime), but for all he has given us in the past. We all (if we're lucky), grow old at some point, and can no longer do what we once so easily did.

Still, the desire to perform and please remains.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 17 Nov 2006 10:23 am

Has anyone noticed over the years that Jim Carrey bears an uncanny resemblance to the younger George Jones?

He's done pretty well in a few serious acting roles, not all comedy-I think he's the man for the job for a new "The George Jones Story."

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Mark

Rick Summers · Post by **Rick Summers** » 17 Nov 2006 10:29 am

Now that you mention it, YES, Carrey does look like a young Jones. If anyone could pull it off, he could.
..and the oscar goes to.....