When it comes to entertaining, George Jones had the art perfected. Even today, people continue to reference Jones as one of the best entertainers to ever grace country music.
Jones’ entertainment skills were placed on full display every time he sang his 1964 hit “The Race Is On.” Although it is now considered one of Jones’ signature songs, “The Race Is On” wasn’t as big of a hit as some of his other singles. It reached the third spot on the Hot Country Singles chart, and also managed to sneak into the 96th spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
The popularity of Jones’ recording led many other artists to offer their take on the tune. But no one has been able to replicate the amount of enthusiasm that Jones brought to the song.
If you’ve never watched Jones perform “The Race Is On” live, then you’ve done yourself a serious disservice. While the recorded version of the song is great, it doesn’t capture Jones’ unbridled energy as well. You have to watch him sing it live in order to get the full picture.
Luckily for you, we’ve included one of Jones’ best live performances of “The Race Is On” in the video down below. This video perfectly showcases how Jones was able to let loose on stage and play with the song to make it more entertaining for those watching him perform.
If you’re used to hearing the recording of “The Race Is On,” this version will sound a bit different to you. That’s because Jones takes some liberty with how he sings during the performance, giving the song enough of a twist to make it fun and new.
Rather than stand still in one spot, Jones also kept his performance interesting by moving around, swaying, and tapping his foot. There’s no way anyone could get bored watching him sing!
Now it’s time for you to tune in below to check out Jones’ lively performance of “The Race Is On.” He was one of the best artists that country music will ever have…there’s no doubt about that!