Jimmy is basically retired (a musician never completly retires) and lives near me in Florida. I've done three CD Albums with Jimmy in the last three years - two all his own compositions and one a George Jones tribute album (that he got George's blessing for).

TWo of the Justice brothers live near me. One is a fiddle player but I don't remember his first name. I know he worked with Paycheck and several others in Nashville. The other brother, Tony, is a bass picker. They also have a brother that is with Mel Tillis.

[This message was edited by Jack Stoner on 04 January 2006 at 11:27 AM.]

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"From Truth, Justice is Born"--Quanah Parker-1904

PK

[This message was edited by Per Kammersgaard on 05 January 2006 at 01:01 AM.]

As you mentioned, it is a very hard lp to come by. I paid $100.00 U.S. for it on Ebay.

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Rebel™
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http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html

The first permanent member was George Riddle who joined Jones on harmony vocals and rhythm guitar in 1960. He stayed with Jones for four years and eventually got to sing and play on his records. At this point they used local bands as they toured.

In 1962 Jones bought his first tour bus and formed the first Jones Boys with Riddle (guitar, vocals), Billy Wayne (steel), Jerry Star (lead guitar, ex-Wanda Jackson), Gary Prawl (aka Gary Parker) on bass and Glen Davis on drums. (I believe the same Davis who was with the Opry band in the 1990s).

Billy Wayne split and I think that's when Tony came in.

Tony wrote: I also worked with George Jones back in the early 60's, around 62 or 63, just before I moved to Minneapolis,Mn. Along with myself, was, Georgie Riddle, Jerry Star, Adams Boys and Glen Davis. We were playing with Jones at the Panther Hall in Ft Worth when my steel guitar and amp got stole.

In 1963 Tony was gone, and Hal Rugg was on steel.
While with George Jones, Rugg recorded his first real session in Nashville. The album The Best of George Jones actually included two instrumentals; "Cuttin' a Rug" and "Jonesy."
Rugg wrote: As a result of that project, the label Jones was signed with (owned by Papply Daily out of Houston) became my first major account and gave me enough work to keep me off the road. Besides George, I recorded with Benny Barnes, Floy Tillman, Country Johnny Mathis, and we did an album with Gene Pitney.
In 1963 he left to join the Grand Ole Opry and worked staff there until 1979.

Circa 1963 the Jones Boys were Johnny Paycheck with the Adams brothers, Glen Davis and steel player Jimmie Crawford.
Crawford knew Paycheck from the Ohio scene in the 1950s.

Around this time Gary Adams and Johnny Paycheck are in the group. Johnny Paycheck switches to steel while Gary goes to guitar while Glen Davis (drums) is still in the group.

In 1964 Sonny Curtis (steel) joins the group, Sonny's first professional job was working with Bobby Bare in a Wellston, Ohio, club in the 1950s. During that period he also worked with Donny Young and after Young left for Nashville Curtis continued to work the Ohio club scene. Some demo/home-made recordings involving Sonny made it's way to George Jones who hired him into the the Jones Boys of Charley Justice, Don, Gary and Arnie Adams.
Their first gig was a 1964 Jimmy Dean television show in New York City (ABC).
There's a pic of Sonny, George, Johnny Paycheck, Jerry Starr and Charlie Justice on the Jimmy Dean Show alongside Glen Davis.
I think it's on Sonny's website.

The Jones Boys album Country & Western Songbook (Musicor MS-3017) 1964, included Sonny Curtis on steel, Curtis would play on all of Jones recordings for Musicor through 1964-1969.

In 1964 Jones has an uptempo hit with ‘The Race Is On.’ Bandmember Donny Young (later known as Johnny Paycheck) even sang harmony vocals on Jones’ “The Race Is On” in 1964 and on “Love Bug” The album with those tracks also featured Sonny Curtis on steel.

* It appears that in 1965 Sonny must have vacated the steel for a stint, Buddy Emmons and possibly Paycheck did the steel role inbetween them both.
See below:
George Jones's George Jones Live at Dancetown USA (ACE CDCHM 156) not in print.
1. Untitled Instrumental - The Jones Boys
2. One More Time - Don Adams
3. White Lightning
4. Something I Dreamed
5. Aching, Breaking Heart
6. We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds - George Jones & Don Adams
7. The Window Up Above
8. Bony Maronie
9. She Thinks I Still Care
10. Rio City Chimes - The Jones Boy featuring Buddy Emmons
11. Accidentally On Purpose
12. Who Shot Sam
13. Intermission Riff - The Jones Boys
14. Untitled Instrumental - The Jones Boys
15. Please Talk to My Heart - Don Adams
16. Sing a Sad Song - Don Adams
17. Panhandle Rag - Buddy Emmons
18. Act Naturally - Don Adams
19. Ragged But Right
20. Poor Man's Blues
21. Tender Years
22. Where Does a Little Tear Come From
23. Jole Blon - George Jones featuring Rufus Thibideaux
24. Big Harlan Taylor
25. She's Lonesome Again
26. The Race is On

There have been very few live recordings of George Jones, particularly of his early years, which makes Live at Dance Town USA so valuable. Recorded in June of 1965, the compact disc features 26 tracks -- including nine songs performed by Jones' supporting vocalist Don Adams -- that capture Jones running through his biggest hits, plus a couple of left-field covers like "Bony Moronie" and "Jole Blon." Jones is wired and energetic, breathing fire into the songs; one of the biggest joys of the entire disc is his between-song patter, such as when he tells the audience that he's taking a "liquor mission" halfway through the set. Not only is the music superb -- on this date, the Jones Boys featured steel guitarist Buddy Emmons and Cajun fiddler Rufus Thibodeaux -- but it illustrates exactly what a honky tonk concert was like in the '60s. For hardcore George Jones fans, it's an essential addition, one that's revelatory and highly entertaining.
This recording is a must for anyone into honky tonk music, Possum, or the Big E! It captures a live Texas dance hall performance "in the rough" from 1965; George Jones with the Jones Boys featuring Don Adams on vocals, with guests Buddy Emmons and cajun fiddler Rufus Thibodeaux. Intended originally to be a live album, but with quirks and flaws that made it "unreleasable" in 1965, it sat on a shelf for over 20 years until released by ACE Records, an English lable. A valuable honky tonk archival document.

George sings great, but is seemingly flustered by the pressure of the live recording. There are several instances where patron requests and PA announcements interrupt the flow of the show, and a classic moment where George announces the band will break for "a liquor-mission.. er, intermission."

Sonny eventually returns.
George Jones and the Jones Boys in 1965 Sonny Curtis, Jerry Starr (guitar), George Jones, Charlie Justice (fiddle), Johnny Paycheck (bass) and Glen Davis (drums)

In 1966 Johnny Paycheck left the group to concentrate on his solo career, Sonny Curtis also did a 1966 session for Paycheck, the rest of the group may have been involved.

It was 1966. George Jones and the Jones Boys would tour in a bus, George would fly in when possible. Between shows the Jones Boys sold albums
August 1966 the group included the typical five piece band - drums, steel, fiddle, electric guitar and electric bass. George played acoustic guitar. The Jones Boys were Sonny Curtis (steel), Jack Watkins, Dave Hall, Charley Justice (fiddle) and a drummer.
(info gained from signed LP I saw, but could not afford.. at a fair)

Sometime in 1966-1967 Jack Solomon (lead guitar) joins.

In 1967 he opens the Possum Holler Nightclub in Nashville on Lower Broadway St. The Jones Boys played there fairly regularly, especially as Jones was touring infrequently at this point.

In 1968 guitarist Solomon marries Jones’ duet partner Melba Montgomery.
The Jones Boys Jack Soloman, Sonny Curtis, James Holley, George, Freddie Haws and Charlie Justice.

The 1968 into 1969 group featured bassist James Hollie (who’d worked with Wynn Stewart in Texas), Freddie Haws (drums), both from Dallas, Charlie ‘Grumpy’ Justice (fiddle), and Sonny Curtis (steel); both from Ohio, as well as another Texan Charlie Carter on lead guitar.

With Tammy Wynette on tour with them, they added Patsy Sledd on harmony vocals, Tammy left due to her pregnancy later in 1969, while in early 1969 Jim Ebert (piano) was added.

The Jones Boys’ album My Boys, the Jones Boys (Musicor MS-3182) 1970, with Sonny Curtis (steel). Presumable it includes James Hollie, Haws, Justice, Ebert and Sledd

Chuck Cusimano's recollection of the band in 1973 seems to fit in nicely.

Tammy left George in December 1974, and by January 1975 the band of James, Hollie, Haws, Justice, Curtis, Ebert and Sledd joined her solo show.
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Hook.
About Gary Boggs playing steel for George from around 1969 through about 1976... that's Still Sonny's era, unless he was a temp or something.

Jason Powers, the band you mention takes place some time around 1965-67.. seems to have been a few line-up changes through that period.

Would love any additions or corrections at this point, I've always meant to email Sonny and ask him.

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Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

A nice two or three volume set of the rare singles and b-sides would be cool as well.

How about a deluxe reissue of his rare 1956 debut album on Starday with extra material from the same period (rare singles, outtakes, etc).. ol' George could do with decent reissues instead of some of the shonk that's out there now.