George Jones and wife Nancy Sepulvado Jones beat the odds and repaired the country star's shattered life and career. More on their love story here...
Nancy Sepulvado stood as a beacon of hope and stability for George Jones and their love story is one of redemption, resilience, and unwavering devotion. Country music icon George Jones was a talented artist with self-destructive tendencies, a serious drinking problem, and a nasty drug habit. With three failed marriages under his belt (Dorothy Bonvillion, Shirley Ann Corley, and fellow country star Tammy Wynette), the troubled star found his salvation when he met 34-year-old Nancy Sepulvado in 1981 and married her on March 4, 1983 in a small private ceremony.
Nancy, a former flight attendant from Louisiana, was known for her warm personality and inner strength. Their connection was immediate, but it wasn’t without its challenges. Nancy saw the potential for change in George and became a steadfast presence in his life. The straight-laced Nancy Sepulvado Jones righted his messy finances, helped him address his drinking, kept his drug dealers at bay, and helped revive his ailing music career. Jones had become famously unpredictable, often disappearing and failing to show up for recording sessions and concerts— earning him the nickname “No Show Jones.”
Nancy Sepulvado & George Jones’ Wedding Day
Thanks to Nancy’s love and guidance, George enjoyed career success once more with duets “Hallelujah, I Love You So” with Brenda Lee and “Size Seven Round (Made of Gold)” with Lacy Dalton. As a solo recording artist, he enjoyed multiple popular singles from his 1985 album Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes and his last solo Top 10 country hit came with 1989’s “I’m a One Woman Man.”
Enjoy his live performance of “I’m a One Woman Man” below!
Despite George’s career rebound, his still wrestled with his personal demons. “George was the sweetest man you could meet. But when George would drink, there was a devil that jumped inside of him,” Nancy admitted to the Tennessean in a 2015 interview.
After pleading again with George to quit drinking for good, “He said, ‘Let me go in our pasture and pray to God to hit me in the head with a sledgehammer.’ And He did. The next thing I know, George had hit a bridge,” Nancy recalled.
“He said, ‘God if you let me get over this, I’ll never touch a cigarette or liquor again,’” Nancy reminisced. “I was warm all over. This time he meant it.”
That experience shook him enough to remain sober until his death from hypoxic respiratory failure on April 26, 2013. George and Nancy Jones celebrated 30 years of marriage before his passing at age 81.
“God put me with him to help him get the devil out of him,” his widow concluded. “God put me there to do a job and I did it.”
When George Jones passed away on April 26, 2013, Nancy’s heartbreak was shared by fans around the world. In the years since his death, she has dedicated herself to preserving his legacy. Nancy has worked tirelessly to honor George’s contributions to country music and ensure his story continues to inspire.
The love story of George Jones and Nancy Sepulvado Jones is a testament to the transformative power of love and faith. Nancy’s unwavering devotion not only saved George’s life but also gave him the strength to achieve a level of greatness that continues to resonate with fans today. Their partnership remains an enduring symbol of hope and redemption in the world of country music.