Introduction
On May 2, 2013, at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, country music icon Alan Jackson delivered a heart‑wrenching rendition of “He Stopped Loving Her Today” in tribute to his late friend George Jones during Jones’s funeral service . The performance, laden with emotion and visibly shifting between reverence and sorrow, stood as a fitting homage to “The Possum,” whose legendary voice had defined a generation .
Originally released by George Jones in April 1980, the song was written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman and produced by Billy Sherrill at Columbia Studio B in Nashville . Despite Jones’s initial resistance—reportedly finding the melody “too long, too sad” and hesitant to learn it—the song proved transformative for his career. Upon release, it shot to No. 1, earned Jones Grammy and CMA awards, revitalized his flagging public image, and has since been widely acclaimed as one of the greatest country songs ever recorded .
The lyrics chronicle a man obsessed with a lost love, holding onto hope until the moment he dies—when at last, he “stopped loving her today.” Its narrative twist—in which he literally continues loving her until death—is delivered through Jones’s mournful baritone and a producer’s dramatic arrangement featuring strings and recitation.
When Alan Jackson sang the song at Jones’s funeral, he closed the service with a ranch‑respectful yet deeply emotional performance, recalling the friendship they shared for over 25 years . Jackson’s voice, blending admiration and grief, underscored the song’s enduring power and became one of the most memorable moments of that somber day .