Former First Lady Laura Bush, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee are among the luminaries set to attend the funeral of country music great George Jones.
Others attending the Thursday morning service in
Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, include Kenny Chesney, Kid Rock, Wynonna Judd, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt and Vince Gill.
Charlie Daniels, Alan Jackson, Barbara Mandrell, Patty Loveless, Ronnie Milsap, Brad Paisley and the Oak Ridge Boys also will pay their respects to Jones, who died Friday at the age of 81.
Veteran CBS newsman Bob Schieffer — who moonlights as a country singer and songwriter on occasion — also will be in attendance.
Many of the stars, including Tucker Daniels, Travis and Rock, are expected to perform on the Opry’s stage, where Jones played countless times to sold-out audiences over the years.
Bush, Haslam, Huckabee, Mandrell and Schieffer will be among those delivering eulogies.
"The caliber of speakers and performers is a testament to what George Jones meant to everyone in the world," publicist Kirt Webster told
Opry.com.
He added that Jones’s fourth wife Nancy has been “overwhelmed by the love and support of not only George's fans, but also the music community, public figures and friends."
The funeral will be public and hundreds of country music fans from around the country are flooding Nashville in hopes of getting into the Opry, which seats 4,400.
The service will also be carried live at wsmonline.com, several cable networks and local television and radio stations.
Jones’ family has asked that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Opry Trust Fund or the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
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