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Despite his well-established reputation as a honky-tonk songwriter within the country community, Leon Payne had few major hits that were often performed by other artists. Because of this, the depth of Payne's songwriting prowess remained relatively unknown to casual country music enthusiasts. That is until George Jones' wonderful tribute album addressed this oversight. Amongst the numerous songbook albums recorded by George during his time at Musicor Records, there are still some remarkable gems to be found in the Possum's collection. Including the standout tracks 'Brothers of a Bottle' and 'A Lifetime to Regret', each track in this collection revitalizes classic songs, serving as a fitting homage to one artist while showcasing the sheer brilliance of another, and despite residing in relative obscurity, 'Sings the Great Songs of Leon Payne' quietly stands as one of George Jones' finest records from the 1960s.
George Jones