Cold Hard Truth (album)

Cold Hard Truth
Studio album by George Jones
Released	June 22, 1999 (1999-06-22)
Genre	Country
Length	28:37
Label	Asylum
Producer	Keith Stegall
George Jones chronology
It Don't Get Any Better Than This (1998) Cold Hard Truth (1999) The Rock: Stone Cold Country 2001 (2001)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Cold Hard Truth is the 56th studio album by American country music singer George Jones. The album was released on June 22, 1999, on the Asylum label.

Background

Cold Hard Truth was released only three months after Jones was involved in a drunk driving incident when he crashed his

that the 67-year-old singer was "at death's door when he came in." The doctors were astonished at the rate of his recovery. The crash was a significant turning point, as Jones explained to Billboard in 2006: "...when I had that wreck I made up my mind, it put the fear of God in me. No more smoking, no more drinking. I didn't have to have no help, I made up my mind to quit. I don't crave it."

Recording

Cold Hard Truth was Jones's first album for Asylum Records after leaving

was disappointed with the association's decision and halfway through his own performance during the show he signaled to his band and played part of Jones' song in protest.

Vince Gill and Patty Loveless provide background vocals on the album's closing tracks "When The Last Curtain Falls". "You Never Know Just How Good You've Got It" was originally recorded by Tracy Byrd on his 1994 album No Ordinary Man.

Reception

After years of country radio indifference, Cold Hard Truth was released to raves and shot to number 5 on Billboard's country albums charts, the first Jones album to do so since Wine Colored Roses in 1986, and even hit number 53 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Country Weekly said of the album, "At age 67, George is singing better than ever, and proves here that there’s no substitute for experience. Cold Hard Truth is easily his most emotional and moving music in ages."

asked, "Have you heard George Jones' last record Cold Hard Truth? I love to hear an old guy lay out his situation. He has the best voice in America."

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	" Emory Gordy, Jr. , Jim Rushing	3:37

Personnel

• drums
• Stuart Duncan – fiddle
• Paul Franklin – steel guitar
• Vince Gill – background vocals
• Owen Hale – drums
• George Jones – acoustic guitar, lead vocals
• Patty Loveless – background vocals
• Larry Marrs – background vocals
• Brent Mason – electric guitar
• Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano
• John Wesley Ryles – background vocals
• Bruce Watkins, Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitar
• Glenn Worf – bass guitar

Charts

Certifications

Region	Certification
United States (RIAA)[6]	Gold

References