When George Jones is honored with the star-studded tribute Still Playing Possum: Music and Memories of George Jones later this year, Tracy Lawrence will be among those paying homage to the country music legend. For Lawrence, it was a way for him to express his gratitude for how much Jones impacted him, especially when he was just getting his start in country music.

“I was very blessed in the early part of my career to spend a lot of time with George. I learned a lot from him,” Lawrence tells Everything Nash. “I really miss him. I was there at his funeral. I have been very close to Nancy, his widow, for years … I learned a lot from him. I watched him go out there and bring the house down every night.”

Unlike a lot of other artists who came before the ’90s country music era that Lawrence was a part of, Jones was always accepting of the new generation of artists, even if the music sounded different than it had in the past.

“The way he embraced a lot of us — country music was changing,” Lawrence reflects, “I’ll never forget that he didn’t resent us like a lot of the older acts did. The format was evolving and changing and George embraced all of us, and brought us out, and cut records with us. I’d go to dinner with his family. I hope that I’m taking some of those things from George into this next stage of my career. Radio becomes kind of a picture in the past, and you have to look forward to what the next step is. I watched how George handled all of it, and I’ll never forget that. I’m very thankful for it.”

Other artists performing as part of Still Playing Possum: Music and Memories of George Jones include  Brad Paisley, Jamey Johnson, Dierks Bentley, Justin Moore, Lorrie Morgan, Tanya Tucker, Michael Ray,, Trace Adkins, Sam Moore and Mark Chesnutt, among others.

“George Jones died on April 26, 2013, in Nashville, Tennessee,” Nancy says of the event. “It will be ten years since he left us with just his songs, so to produce this night of music to honor his legacy is perfectly fitting. George made history and influenced artists from all genres and many of them will celebrate with us in April. The night will bring lots of emotion for the fans, our family, and anyone who just loved country music.”

Still Playing Possum: Music and Memories of George Jones will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Tickets are on sale now, via via Ticketmaster. The event is being televised, and will air at a later date.

Lawrence just announced a co-headlining tour with Gary Allan. Find all of Lawrence’s music and upcoming shows at TracyLawrence.com.