The lights dimmed. The first notes of “He Stopped Loving Her Today” rang out. And then, quietly, Alan Jackson took the stage — not alone, but with Nancy Jones, the widow of the late George Jones, standing beside him. What followed wasn’t just a performance. It was a living tribute to one of the greatest voices country music has ever known, and a love story that still lingers long after the final note. Nancy, graceful and visibly emotional, placed her hand over her heart as Alan began singing. And when the crowd realized who she was — and what this moment meant — you could feel the air change. It wasn’t just nostalgia. It was reverence.

When country legend George Jones died in 2013, his most famous contemporaries joined forces together to pay tribute to the one who gave the genre its ultimate voice.

It would have been the final stop of George Jones’ Farewell Tour at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville; sadly, the singer passed away on April 26, 2013, after he had been hospitalized with fever and irregular blood pressure.

Still, friends and family pushed for the show to happen at one special event called Playin’ Possum! The Final No Show Tribute To George Jones.

The tribute included performances from Alabama, Dierks Bentley, Reba McEntire, Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, Alan Jackson, and a lot more, with surprising guests. All of Jones’ beloved hits from “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair” to “When The Last Curtain Falls” to “The Race Is On” were performed, but the special event’s highlight was definitely had to be Alan Jackson closing out the show with one of the greatest country music songs of all time, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”

One Of The Most Endearing Friendships In Country Music

While George Jones and Alan Jackson‘s careers took off in different eras, the two collaborated many times and developed a friendship that lasted for years. They understood each other more than some of their peers. After all, Jackson grew up listening to Jones and considered The Possum, his hero.

So, there’s definitely no better way than Jackson capping off the tribute with “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”

And in the middle of his performance, just before hitting the final chorus, something amazing happened – Jackson invited Jones’ widow and wife of three decades, Nancy, onto the stage with him. “Let’s sing one in honor of George,” he went on, with Nancy joining him at his microphone.

There’s definitely no dry eye in the entire arena. You can watch the emotional performance in the video below.