As far as nicknames for country artists go, George Jones might have gotten the short stick. The country icon was famously called both “Possum” and “No Show Jones.” We wouldn’t exactly be jumping with joy if we were dubbed with either. But, as Jones knew, the nicknames were unavoidable. If you can’t beat ’em…

How did Jones come to be known as Possum and No Show Jones? Find out, below.

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Possum

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First up, we have Possum. Jones picked up the nickname from a couple of deejays, T. Tommy Cutrer and Ralph Emery, early on in his career. Cutrer and Emery decided Jones bore an uncanny resemblance to the critter because of his beady eyes and pointy nose. Despite being little more than a playful jab at the singer, it managed to stand the test of time.

Jones decided to lean into the nickname when creating Possum Holler, his venue on Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee.

“They both laid into me and called me ‘Possum,’ and it got everywhere,” Jones once explained. “There was no way I could stop that, so (I thought) I’ll just have to live with that!”

No Show Jones

While Jones quickly warmed to the nickname Possum, it took him a while to come to terms with No Show Jones. The nickname was a reaction to his many missed concert dates, largely due to a drug problem.

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Now, after his death, the nickname is more playful than it is a commentary on the punctuality problems that plagued him in life. But, when Jones first earned the nickname, it weighed on him.

“I think about the dates that I missed, and I’ll see those mamas and daddies and some grandkids walking down the old country dirt road … walking to town maybe a mile, and they’ve been saving their money for a couple months just to get there and to be let down,” Jones once said.

“I guess that hurts me worse than anything else,” Jones continued. “‘No Show Jones’ — I never did like that, but I played around with it with a song … made peace with it. I didn’t think I’d ever live it down, but it’s gotten so much better. Nobody calls me ‘No Show’ anymore.”

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Category: WHY