Blake Shelton Does George Jones Proud Covering ‘The King Is Gone’ [Listen]
Blake Shelton singing George Jones is something you need to hear. The contemporary star cut a cover of one of the Possum's all-time funniest tracks, "The King Is Gone (So Are You)."
Much like he did re-recording Bobby Bare's "Tequila Sheila," Shelton stayed true to the original while still allowing his wry sense of humor to come through with few obstructions. Jones' version feels much sadder — you kind of feel bad for a man sipping Jim Beam out of a Flintstones jelly jar, but it's funny when The Voice coach sings it. Both are performed over simple acoustic guitar-driven tracks (Shelton adds some slide guitar early).
The reason for all this nostalgia? It's to advance Shelton's Friends and Heroes Tour, which starts in 2019, but don't be surprised if he assembles them for some kind of release before long. That's two in November already and the tour doesn't begin until February!
"The King Is Gone (So Are You)" was released on Jones' One Woman Man album in 1989 and it became a Top 30 hit on country radio. It wasn't immediately made clear why Shelton chose it as a cover, but he picked "Tequila Sheila" because it was a favorite of his growing up in Oklahoma.
Shelton's Friends and Hero Tour begins in February and includes Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson, Trace Adkins and Lauren Alaina. "Turnin' Me On" is his current single at country radio.
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