It's no secret that iconic country singer George Jones had a serious problem with alcohol during much of his life. In Nashville, there's even a mural, painted on the side of a liquor store, depicting an infamous night when he drove a lawnmower to buy more booze after his then-wife, Shirley Corley, hid his car keys.

Jones quit drinking in 1999, however, and maintained his sobriety until his death in 2013. During those 14 years, the singer made up for lost time with the people who mattered the most, including his wife, Nancy, who had stuck by him through decades of close calls, arrests and even domestic abuse. As his time on Earth dwindled, Jones also made sure to say his goodbyes to the children who would be inheriting his legacy.

As Nancy Jones recalls, the singer had a conversation with his adopted grandson, 13-year-old Carlos, in which he told the young boy that it was time for him to be the man of the house. Additionally, Jones' granddaughter Jennifer was expecting twins during the singer's final months, and he knew he wouldn't live to meet the babies, so, he wrote a letter to the two unborn children.

Jennifer's twins arrived three and a half months after his death. Only she -- and, once they grow up enough to read it, the twins -- know what Jones said, as the family has never shared the letter's contents.

To learn more about the singer's pre-sobriety exploits, and about the last words Jones ever said, press play above to watch this week's episode of The Secret History of Country Musicfrom The Boot's partner site, Taste of Country.

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