Kum 43 liam ta, kum 1981 kha a ni a. Louisiana nuthlawi Nancy Sepulvado chu a thiannu’n New York-a music festival awm tùra kalpuiah a sáwm a. Nancy thiannu chu, chù festival-a zai tùr, country superstar George Jones-a manager bialnu a ni. Nancy chuan chu zai thiam hming chu a lo la hre ngai rëng rëng lo hi a ni a! A thu hrimah, country music lam a tuipui tehchiam lo; the Eagles te leh Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) ho ri mawi sûkpui chî a ni ve hrim hrim a.

A kal ve ta a. New York-a George Jones-a zai ngaithlatu Nancy chu, dárkár chanve chhúng lekin George Jones-a ngaisángtu, a “fan” a ni zui a. Kum hnih a ral leh meuh chuan Nancy Sepulvado chu “Nancy Jones” tih niin George Jones-a nupui palìna a ni ta hial! Chu aia ropui zâwk chu: Country music-a mi lian ber zínga mi, “Mr. Country” George Jones-a taksa leh thlarau damna thlentu a nihna hi a ni.

Accident!

‘Eng nge i sawi awmzia chu!? Páwnah — hetah — chûng thu chu engati nge min hrilh? A nunna chhan tumin lût la, hna va thawk ta che!’ tiin Nancy chuan damdawi in páwna daktawr lo chhuak chu a àn khum hlawih hlawih a. SUV car-a accident, George Jones chu Vanderbilt Hospital-ah hian hruai niin daktawr chuan a nunna chhan a beiseiawm tawh loh thu Nancy hi a lo hrilh a ni.

March 6, 1999, Inrinni a ni a. Ni dang angin country star piang tawh azawnga country star dangten a aw ang neih ve an châk leh a zai dàn anga zai ve an châk ber tia an sawi thin George Jones chuan a album 56-na, kum ruk hnua a album tih chhuah leh hmasak ber tùr, “Cold Hard Truth” chu a buaipui leh a. SUV-a khalha in lam pana a hàw kawngah chuan a hla thar, “Choices” a zaitír chu, phone-a an fanu (a nupui Nancy fa bîk)  ngaihthlâktír a tum a. Ngaihthlâktír fu hleithei loa a buai lai chuan lei (bridge) a su ta bur mai a ni!

A accident-na hmun hi Nashville-a an in atanga mél khat vêla hlaah a ni. Seat belt hréng duh ngai lo George Jones-a lu leh a taksa chung lam chu car steering leh dashboard hnuaiah chuan a inphúm táng tlat a; darkár hnih aia rei an beih hnuah an la chhuak thei hräm a ni. A rang a rangin helicopter-in damdawi in hi an panpui nghâl a. A nupui Nancy chuan, ‘Kalkawngah tum hnih a thi hman!’ a ti hial!

A ruh a tliak nual a, a lung lam a sawh thlër a, a thin pawh a khawih na hle. A áwmah thisen a tling bawk. Ni 11 chhúng dinhmun derthäwng taka a awm hnuah mak tak maiin a rawn dam chhuak leh hlauh! Amah enkawltute mak tih a tling. Mahse, kum 67 mi George Jones-a’n nun bul a tan leh nán leh, chatuana a dam hlen tawhna tùra Pathian remruat a ni miau si a le!

Nupui aiah zú!

“The Rolls-Royce of Country Music” ti hiala hming lem an puttír, chart-a lang pha hla 160 lai nei thei; kum 1955 atanga a thih thlenga “The greatest living country singer” ti hiala an sawi, George “Possum” Jones-a’n hlawhtlinna lamtluang a zawh dàn chu sawi lo ang — hetah a leng lo! Mi nikhua lo a nihna leh bäwräw taka hun a hman hnua “mi tak” a nih chhoh dàn hi a ngaihnawm zâwk ang!

A pa zu ngawlvei leh, a nu Pathian tih êm êm mai a chhùn kawp tih loh rual lohin Jones hian a dam chhúng hun a chhiar kawp a. Kum 18 mi a nihin, a bialnu hmasa ber, Dorothy Bonvillion nèn an innei. Zu ruih a chìn avàngin a kum leh, kum 1951-ah, thla ruk nau pai mék Dorothy hian a then. Kum 1954-ah Shirley Ann Corley nèn innei lehin fapa pahnih an nei hman. Zu avàng bawkin an inthen leh. Country music-a tual a chaipui, amah ang thoa “thlawi” ve mék Tammy Wynette nèn an inzui ta chawt a.

“First Lady of Country Music” an tih Tammy nèn hian kum 1969-ah “Mr. and Mrs. Country Music” tia hriat zui tùrin an innei. Fanu pakhat an nei hman. A zu in nasat avàng bawkin kum 1975-ah Tammy nèn hian an inthen leh. Mahse, thian tha tak an ni zui leh hlauh a; hla eng emaw zât an ti chhuak dùn.

Mr. Country–Jones

A thianpa, country star Waylon Jennings-a’n George Jones sawi nána a tawngklam hman hi, country star dangte pawm záwng tak a ni: ‘Kan duh ang thál hian zai vek ta ila, kan vai hian George Jones angin kan zai ang!’ a tih hian! Chuti khawpa a country star-puite ngaih sàn George Jones hi, kum 1956-ah Grand Ole Opry-ah a inlan daih tawh a. 1959-ah Billboard country chart-a #1 hmasa ber, “White Lightnin’” a nei. A zai thiam piah lama hla phuah a thiamna hi a hlawhtlinpui hle. A hla hmasaho: “Window Up Above”, “Tender Years” te chu amah mai ni lo artist dangte paw’n sak chhàwn (cover)-sakin an hlawhtlinpui zêl a. “The Race Is On”, “My Favorite Lies”, “Tennesse Whiskey”, “A Good Year for the Roses”, “If My Heart Had Windows”, “She Thinks I Still Care” te leh “The Grand Tour” te chu vawiin thlenga a hla chuai thei lo an ni.

Kum 1962 hnu lam, 60s chhúnga chart-a #1 hauh thei hla pakhat, “Walk Through This World With Me” chauh a nei thei ta! Kum 1980-ah country hla ropui ber zínga chhiar tel reng, “He Stopped Loving Her Today” a ti chhuak leh chauh. A hlawhtlinpuizia chu — hetah — a leng lo!

“No Show Jones”!

A zu in nasat avànga a chêt bâwràw zual lai, ’60s – ’70s chho khán hming lem, “No Show Jones” puttír ngai hial khawpin concert leh show a thulh zing a! ‘Kan sum lâk luhna  awmchhun chu show a neih atangin a ni a. Mahse, a show neih tùr zatveah pawh inlan thei loin a rui bo daih zêl si! Electric bill pêk theih loh cháng pawh kan nei fo!’ a nupui palìna Nancy chuan a ti. Forbes chanchinbuin a report dàn chuan, Jones-a’n show a thulh avàngin tum 200 chuang dànin thiam loh a chantír hial a ni!

A khatih hun laia a mi pangngai lohzia Nancy chuan nikum (2023)-a Jones-a pian­cham, Sep 12-a a lehkhabu tih chhuah, “Playin' Possum” (“Possum” hi George Jones-a hming lem a ni)-ah a ziak tel a: ‘Zu in thiam a ni ve lo a … ni tin hian a tharin hlauhna hian ka thau a man thìn! A chêt thin dàn kha ka nunna atán pawh a hlauhawm — ka fanu tán pawh. Mahse, ama nunna ber kha a pawimawh si a! Vawi tam tak zu nghei chu a tum ve thìn. A nghei emaw tih cháng pawh ka ngah; mahse, a coat, a boot, a closet, a car … a ipte tinah hian bottle te tak të të a dah thluah thìn. Cocaine nèna a tih pawlh tawh phei chuan, George Jones-a kha a ni tawh ngai lo a, ramhuai ka khawsakpui hi a ni ringawt zêl!’ tiin.

Ruih theih thil avàngin George hi vawi duai lo man a ni a; vawi tam tak damdawi ina dah luh ngaiin a awm tawh a ni.

Damna — Accident!

Accident a tawh tum hian George Jones hi a dam chhuah tù ma’n an ring lo tak zet. Mahse, Pathian a au a, a a karin a kar ngat ngat! ‘I tih damna ka chan chuan, zu ka in leh tawh ngai lo ang a, mei ka zu tawh hek lo ang. Ka nupui tána pasal duhthusàm ka ni ang,’ tiin. Kum 2006 khán Billboard chanchinbu kiangah a thil tawn hi a sawi bawk a: ‘Khatia accident ka tawh khán rilru ka siam fel a, Pathian tihna ka nei lian hle. Zu in leh mei zûk sim ka tum a ni. Belh tùr nei loa ka awm kha a ngai a. Tih chhunzawm zêl ka tum tawh lo,’ tiin. 

Chutianga intiam na nâ nâ chu Khawngaihtu Pathian khawngaihna changin a rawn dam chhuak leh a. Hemi hnu — kum 2013 April 26-a kum 81 mi nia a thih ní thlengin zú a in leh tawh ngai lo a, mei pawh a zu leh tawh ngai hek lo!

A nupui pathumten a zu in luat avàngin an then vek! A nupui palìna, fa pawh hrinsak tawh lo Nancy hi chuan a pasal “chak lo tak” hi kalsan tum loin amah “a inti chak lui” thìn. ‘Ka kalsan thei lo em ni? Thei e. Mahse, amah hian that chhuah a duh ve thìn a; mahniin a thei tawh si lo. A rin ngam, a tha leh dáwn a ni tih ring tlattu a mamawh a. Chuvàng chauh chuan a ni, a kianga ka awm luih tlat ni. Beidawng thei ka ni ve lo,’ Nancy chuan a ti a, ‘A chhan chu, amah George-a nun chhúng rilah hian mi tha ka hmu a ni,’ a ti.

‘George hi mi ä a ni lo — hmangaihna ngah tak, mi hlim thei tak a ni … a nihna dik tak — a tha lo lam ni lo hai chhuak tùr hian theih tâwp ka chhuah ve. Lo kalsan ta ila, George hi hmänah khán a awm tawh lo ang!’ a ti hial.

Duhthlanna

‘Ka album thar, “Cold Hard Truth”-a single hmasa ber tùr “Choices” vàng khán a ni ka accident ni! Car-ah khán ka ngaithla nawn sek a. Phone-a kan fanu ngaihthlâktír tuma ka rewind lai takin engkim a thim ta vek a!’ George chuan a ti a. 1986 hnuah chart-ah a album a lang tawh ngai lo. A accident atanga thla thum liam hnua tih chhuah, “Cold Hard Truth” chu country album chart-ah #5 a rawn ni nghâl tlat! 

A accident chhan nia a sawi hla, “Choices” hla thu hi a mak ve rëng rëng — “amah a insak-sak” kan ti dáwn nge, “a ái ve rëng” kan ti zâwk dáwn — heti hian Mizo tawngin dah ve ta ila: “Ka pian tirh ata, ni tin ‘duhthlanna’ ka nunpui a, kawng dik leh dik lo min hrilhtu ‘aw’ ka hre thìn — ka thih leh dam hril tùr chu. Naupang të ka nih lai atä zu in ka chíng a; min hmangaihtute aia ka thlan zâwk chu! Ka duhthlanna chuan thihna ko tlangah min dintír ta si! Tûnah hian ka tih loh tùr ka tih avàngin ka tuar mék a; kïr leh dáwn ila, Lalpa chuan a remti ang; mahse, nun hlimna tam tak ka chán tawh si. Ka duhthlanna siam chuan thihna ko-ah min hnûk mék a ni!” tihna a ni àwm e.

A tàwpna chu!

April 26, 2013-a a thih hma lawk, April 6 paw’n George Jones hian show a la nei a. A taksa a chak loh zual hnuin ICU-ah ni ruk chhúng, che lo, meng lo leh ngawi rengin a mu a. Chumi hnu chuan a nupui leh daktawr inbiak laiin George chuan a mit a rawn meng a. Chung lam en reng chungin, ‘Hello! Nangmah alâwm ka zawn che. Ka hming chu, George Jones a ni e,’ a ti a, a chat thla zui a ni.

Nancy chuan, ‘A biak kha Pathian a ni! Ka thinlungah chiang takin hriattír ka ni — Pathian nèn an inbia a; Ani chuan vànramah a hruai ta a ni,’ tiin a sawi.