George Jones

At the age of 76, George Jones is universally considered the greatest singer in all of country music — and if you have to ask why, you'll never understand. The expressiveness of his voice, the humanity, is rooted in post-Depression east Texas, but is as universal as dirt, tears, laughter and, yes, self-destruction. He could sing a Dan Savage column and annihilate your soul. Even in the medleys that have been inevitable during his shows for over four decades — and even on 2005's exceptional Hits I Missed....And One I Didn't album — he takes any blues or country tune and embellishes them with his awesome melisma or erodes a phrase with hard-living years. But more important, Jones realizes the feelings deep inside the country audience — and deep, deep inside us all.