Flashback: George Jones’ Wife Accepts His CMA Award While He’s In The Bathroom

At the 1993 CMA Awards, country music legend George Jones took an ill-timed bathroom break just as he was pronounced the winner of the Vocal Event of the Year for “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair.”

Luckily for him, his wife, Nancy Jones, stepped up to the plate.

In times before a cell phone was glued to everyone’s hand, it could be difficult to locate a missing person. The question, “Did he show?” began circulating throughout the auditorium just as Nancy ran on stage.

Jones not going onstage really wasn’t out of the ordinary since he had earned himself the nickname “No Show.”

George Jones earned the nickname “No Show Jones” because, during the height of his career in the 1970s and 1980s, he gained a reputation for frequently missing concerts and scheduled appearances.

These no-shows were largely due to his struggles with alcohol and substance abuse. Fans would often show up to his concerts only to find out that he wouldn’t be performing. Despite this, Jones remained one of country music’s most beloved figures, and his reputation as a no-show added to his mystique and legend over time.

Although he didn’t come on stage, he wasn’t a no show at the 1993 CMA Awards!

As all the featured artists including Vince Gill, Mark Chesnutt, Garth Brooks, Travis Tritt, Joe Diffie, Alan Jackson, Pam Tillis, T. Graham Brown, Patty Loveless and Clint Black walked on the stage, they were all looking around for Jones, but instead, his wife, Nancy joined them on stage.

“I promise that he showed up!” his wife exclaimed as she rushed to the microphone. “He’s in the bathroom!”

Her announcement was met with an uproar of laughter as she explained the situation, saying, “Someone needs to find him…well, if George was standing here, I think he’d say thank you.”

That is definitely a one-of-a-kind acceptance speech! Watch it all unfold in the video below!