George Jones Recordings in Possession of Drug Dealers Surface

Country music Hall of Famer George Jones passed away in 2013, putting an end to the recorded output from one of the most legendary singers in country music history. But multiple never-before-heard studio performances from George Jones could be sitting in a bank vault in Benton County, Tennessee as we speak, just waiting to be heard. Or, there could be nothing on the tapes at all. Nobody really knows for sure. But what we do know is the tapes came from two drug dealers with ties to The Possum.
The eight boxes of reel-to-reel tapes simply labeled “George Jones records” are thought to include recordings of George Jones and the Jones Boys originally captured at the Nugget Studios in Goodlettsville, Tennessee in 1966, perhaps for a radio show, or perhaps for something else. They first appeared in the public record as bail collateral for two drug dealers in 1984 as they were trying to beat their rap. Where they got the tapes, and where they’ve ended up now is one sordid and convoluted story that the Knox News has been investigating for quite some time.
David Snoddy and Donald Gilbreth were partners in both the music business and the drug trade in the early 80’s. They were indicted and arrested in Louisiana in 1983 by federal agents. The judge set bail at $1 million, but neither man had the money. What they did have were these boxes of George Jones tapes, which they claimed a 3rd partner Jimmy Klein produced with Jones at Nugget Studios. Klein was the booking agent for George Jones and Connie Smith in 1966 when the recordings were allegedly made.
At the time the tapes were put up as collateral, they were valued at $1.2 million. The judge chose to take the tapes as collateral, but as court documents show, the judge nor anyone else even checked to make sure the tapes were what the drug dealers claimed they were, or if there was any music on them at all.
How did the drug dealers get the tapes? Well, they got them from Jimmy Klein, who in 1982 signed an affidavit claiming that George Jones surrendered all the rights to the tapes to himself and Donald Gilbreth. Of course, this was just about the time George Jones was at his “No Show” heyday of drinking and addiction, so perhaps the trio ended up in possession of the tapes in, well, trade. At that time the collection of recordings was claimed to be five reel-to-reel tapes with 35 total songs performed live.
In 1986, the two drug dealers (Snoddy and Gilbreth) were convicted of their charges, cancelling their bond, and hypothetically, returning possession of the tapes back to Donald Gilbreth. There’s even a record of someone signing out the tapes from where they were kept in Louisiana. But for some reason the tapes never left. A few decades, a dozen or so court motions, and numerous efforts to find rightful heirs to the tapes later, they’re now under the jurisdiction of a Tennessee appellate court hoping to make some final decisions on them soon, though the COVID-19 shutdown has slowed that process.
The hope by some George Jones fans is that soon the matter could be all hashed out, and if they’re lucky, perhaps some never-heard recordings from The Possum could finally see the light of day in some sort of released form.
Stay tuned.
May 16, 2020 @ 9:59 am
This story sounds like it’d make a great country song!
May 17, 2020 @ 8:15 am
I was given an ols Reel To Reel from the I’d say late 60’s and it has A Tape. Written on The Tape/ A large Tape is “Billy Joel and Crosby Still Nash not sure about Young. Maybe not. The Player was in an old Bldg here in Southeastern Tnn. Man whom owned property now says it’s likely from Ohio. I don’t have a power cord to see if Player works. I checked the serial #”s and its old. Weighs a good 50lbs or so. I wonder if The Tapes might be original recordings. How to know is thr question.
May 17, 2020 @ 8:44 am
Avery,
Reel to reel decks were popular with consumers back in the day. People would copy LP records using these. Its more probable that this was someone’s homemade tape of favorites. Guessing by the fact is says both Billy Joel and also Crosby Stills and Nash. A record company wouldn’t split up two giant name artists like those on one tape. That’s my best guess.
May 17, 2020 @ 10:18 am
Billy Joel did not even have a record company in the 1960’s. Maybe there are some club tapes of him from back then on Long Island. If it’s from the ’60s and Tennessee, it’s more likely Billy Joe Royal.
May 17, 2020 @ 12:09 pm
Sounds like he’s saying the tape deck itself is from the 60s. Tapes could be from anytime, I suppose. When I grew up, my dad had an old Akai reel to reel deck I used to mess around with. Like I said, it was common back in the 70s to find them in houses.
But without more info, its only speculation.
May 16, 2020 @ 11:15 am
One more bizarre story to add to the amazing and unbelievable collection of stories that make up the legacy of George Jones. Keeping my fingers crossed for those recordings, but who knows what state they’re in after all these years…
May 16, 2020 @ 1:21 pm
Maybe the tapes are playing Possum.
Somebody had to
May 16, 2020 @ 1:23 pm
George Jones: The Dealer Tapes
May 16, 2020 @ 1:23 pm
RIP George Jones what a life you lived! I am hopeful some hidden gems surface from these tapes but who knows.
May 16, 2020 @ 2:25 pm
I’m extremely interested in this. The Adams Brothers, who were the original Jones Boys may have been backing him on those recordings. They and Johnny Paycheck were the first actual touring band George officially had. Believe it or not the 3 are very much alive and still play. They live about an hour away from me and I’m hoping to catch em playing in one of the little bars they occasionally gig in.. The Adams later spent 20 years backing Johnny Paycheck on the road. If you saw the Mike Judge Tales from the tour bus episode on Paycheck, these guys are all over it. There’s a great live cd out you can buy featuring Jones and these guys playing live in Texas in 1965. It was recorded by Pappy Daily and not released until decades later. Well worth listening too, Jones is of course great. Its got some funny dialog from him and at one point he says to the crowd “its time to take a little liquor mission, uh…intermission..hah”
Anyhow, this is exciting for real fans of country. Can’t wait.
May 16, 2020 @ 1:47 pm
Oh my goodness it would be absolutely great if by chance the tapes have George Jones singing songs that us fans have never heard before.
May 16, 2020 @ 2:01 pm
And even though they’ve carried him away,
He’s got songs they’ve never played!
May 16, 2020 @ 2:02 pm
R.I.P. brother- a shame what people will do.
May 16, 2020 @ 2:07 pm
Somehow this reminded me of the Dukes of Hazzard episode in which Boss Hogg has a bootleg recording studio on the side.
Hey, I might go for a “The Possum’s Collateral – The No-Show Years” box set.
May 16, 2020 @ 5:06 pm
To all that bring trash out to burn the tabloids
The papers the smutt” The real deal is a ledge
Of course sick can’t find a story ” Digging up bones your sorry low life crappie story’s are just as yourself ” Trash in a field I hope a country singer puts your sorry ass’s God have a print shop in hell” for smutt an dog crap blazing fire Pitts for your time to search for a unreliable true tails as you see wait till a death then talk shit ” you’ll be in a rocking chair soon as let it be a broken on with no help to repair,?
May 16, 2020 @ 5:27 pm
Deep breaths. Use your words.
May 16, 2020 @ 5:55 pm
What did you even say ?????
May 16, 2020 @ 6:03 pm
I think this person is somehow trying to say this is a tabloid story and we’re digging up dirty laundry on George Jones and making him look bad. But that ship sailed a LONG, LONG time ago. Sure, there’s sort of a scandalous element to this story, but I think any George Jones fan in their right mind would be excited at the prospect of 35 songs sitting out there that they’ve never heard before.
May 16, 2020 @ 6:28 pm
I think you are right with your interpretation. The only thing I would add is I read it aloud in the voice of Boomhauer from King Of The Hill.
May 17, 2020 @ 7:55 pm
Would love to have that cd you spoke of from 1965, I think. Where can I get it,?
May 18, 2020 @ 12:45 pm
funny thing, it doesn’t say George gave them as bond, but rather two other men on drug charges. It just happened to be George Jones music….
May 16, 2020 @ 7:38 pm
Couldn’t agree more. Well said.
May 17, 2020 @ 2:41 am
What the hell are you on about …. this rant of yours makes no sense at all
May 17, 2020 @ 8:47 am
It’s his anger issue, most likely…????
May 16, 2020 @ 6:35 pm
The greatest ever sure maybe a couple guys i could understand putting ahead of him Hank Sr,Merle but Sturgill and Isbore aren’t even in the same stratosphere.
May 16, 2020 @ 6:49 pm
What did I say ”
Are you freaking dumb or just a reminder your in a dumb line of thoughts that make more sense then the shit you write . Shut your smutt eat some SHEPHERD PIE!!
May 16, 2020 @ 6:55 pm
Dude, just because what you typed passed Spell Check…..
May 16, 2020 @ 10:22 pm
Shepherd’s.
May 16, 2020 @ 10:24 pm
You have provided me with some of the best laughs of the day.
You should be proud.
Guy write word comment funny much, thanks great
Pride esteem for good self
May 16, 2020 @ 7:57 pm
Lady’s @ Gentlemen. This P.2. I’m here to teal y’all that the best country music writer and singer of all times mr. George Jones legendary possum the best the best of country music of all times in time to come in time to come I mean these 36 songs they will bust out and the country music fans of George Jones who will know who’s the real king of country music was and still is could this day may God bless him a rest his soul in heaven with the angels country music
May 16, 2020 @ 8:27 pm
He didnt write a single song he recorded other writers songs.
May 17, 2020 @ 1:02 am
And made them a lot of money?! Most of the country music legends didn’t write most of their songs so I don’t see what your point is!
May 17, 2020 @ 1:28 am
I don’t think you are right about that. He wrote Why Baby Why, What Am I Worth, Don’t Stop The Music The Window Up Above and Color Of The Blues and that’s from one cd “The Best Of George Jones 1955-1967”
May 17, 2020 @ 4:53 am
Although it says those songs were co-written on Wikipedia.
I have no idea how many songs he wrote or how much contribution he gave to the co-written songs. But my point is is doesn’t matter. It’s all about how George Jones delivers the stories of those songs with his unique tone and phrasing which is amazing and you can relate with (and is different for each song) . He’s considered the best at this by a lot of people and it’s because of this amazing talent that people celebrate George Jones!
May 17, 2020 @ 4:20 pm
I’d rather listen to Jones sing songs he didn’t write than hear some writer that can’t sing worth a Fu** sing them .
I don’t give a damn about someone writing/not writing long as i enjoy the song.
May 16, 2020 @ 9:04 pm
Jones is the greatest ever, period. The potential of unheard of music from the GOAT, who could be upset with that? The circumstances are what they are, the majority of his adult life was an absolute cluster. The upcoming season of cocaine and rhinestones should be excellent.
May 16, 2020 @ 11:53 pm
Seems to be a pervasive narrative among artists that use drugs. Townes, Lefty and so many others.
Just the possibility of hearing new material from George makes me incredibly happy. Can’t wait to read about the final adjudication.
May 17, 2020 @ 6:58 am
Boy howdy, that’s in interesting story. Kudos to Jamie Satterfield for doing the leg-work.
“Fawer [Gilbreth’s attorney] has acknowledged in court records he didn’t take possession of the tapes but it’s not clear why.”
Well, he said later that Snoddy had a legitimate claim on those tapes, too. Could he have been thinking that at the time? Satterfield could ask him. It looks like he’s still in Covington.
Anyway it doesn’t much matter now. The fight is now between the “heirs” of Gilbreth and Snoddy, whoever they turn out to be. Should be interesting.
May 17, 2020 @ 7:47 am
George Jones was and is a great country artist. But Loretta Lynn and Conway twitty rule.
May 17, 2020 @ 12:05 pm
George, yes. Loretta, yes. Early Conway, good, but as the years went buy he lost his way and became too formulaic. I agreed with the late, great, Lewis Grizzard, who said that he wanted Conway to take a cold shower before he went into the recording studio, so he wouldn’t moan, growl and breathe so heavily.
May 17, 2020 @ 7:05 pm
I beg to differ, I know Conway Twitty’s later stuff is a bit more countrypolitan but I don’t think it’s formulaic. I really don’t think he lost his way I mean he got number 1s every year from 1968 to 1986 bar 78, and then top 5s every year until 1991 by which time he was 57! I love the stories of the songs “Somebody Lied”, “Saturday Night Special” & “House on Old Lonesome Road.” Conway Twitty is one of the GOAT and nothing he released should be overlooked!
(okay bar is early Rock ‘n’ Roll days possibly).
May 17, 2020 @ 7:26 pm
One can’t argue with success, obviously. I just think he became too predictable in his later years.
“It’s Only Make Believe” is a great, great song. that will still be with us a hundred years from now. Likewise, “Hello, Darlin” and “Fifteen Years Ago.” I admire Conway for those songs, and quite a few others. Everything I have ever read about him reveals him to be a really good guy, and he died far, far too young.
May 18, 2020 @ 7:05 pm
Can I add “Touch the Hand” to that list of great Conway songs?
May 17, 2020 @ 7:15 pm
I wasn’t alive when Conway was but am I right in saying that Conway and George often performed on the same night and Conway was always the headline act?! George Jones seems to be more revered nowadays!
May 17, 2020 @ 8:48 am
Avery,
Reel to reel decks were popular with consumers back in the day. People would copy LP records using these. Its more probable that this was someone’s homemade tape of favorites. Guessing by the fact is says both Billy Joel and also Crosby Stills and Nash. A record company wouldn’t split up two giant name artists like those on one tape. That’s my best guess.
May 17, 2020 @ 8:59 am
While this is an interesting story, the probability of these tapes containing some hidden “gems” is quite low in my estimation. George Jones is my favorite country vocalist, but he recorded hundreds of garbage songs. Sit down with his Starday catalog sometime. Many of the songs are mediocre at best, and some (The Poor Chinee) are downright awful. If there was a real barn burner on those tapes, we would have heard it already.
May 17, 2020 @ 11:33 am
Tabloid or not, it’s well known that George lost all kinds of property due to illicit activity. It was kinda part of his legend. Kinda like Willie and his bankruptcy issues. George lost a small ranch near Colmesneile, TX, which is near where I live in Lufkin, in a high stakes poker game.
May 17, 2020 @ 11:48 am
George was a good singer .I called him one night back in 1992_94 somewhere along then .he was at home just got done eating and was full of talk and laughter …I miss ole Mr.G. boy could he talk your ears off..thanks tenten .
May 17, 2020 @ 12:32 pm
There is, so far, not even enough reason to be convinced the tapes hold anything. If they do–and have survived the dubious chain of custody described, intact–and if they’re not just one more live version from that era of the same songs heard many places elsewhere–great. But the notion that they “had to have been worth millions in the ‘;80s” is ridiculous, et alone “even more now.” Only somebody utterly unaware if what historic unissued recordings or historic reissues actually go for in 2020, and how little they sell could make such a plain goofy claim. Every reissue house is laughing at this one, I promise.
May 17, 2020 @ 4:11 pm
I agree with you . And a judge accepted them instead of cash ? Ok maybe i guess id have to see the court ducuments on that and did the court get the money if not then someone skipped bail and they hunt you down for that. Sounds a little long winded to me .but hey i dont know.
May 17, 2020 @ 1:14 pm
Come on, this is the coolest story in a long time. Have some fun with it, live a little. Who’s to say those tapes weren’t made something like this. Gilbreth and Snoddy get wind the Feds are on their tail. Snoddy blows it off, but Gilbreth takes it seriously and mentions to Jones that it would be good to have some collateral. Jones, in a haze, agrees. “But the tapes have to be good,” Gilbreth insists, and if they are, he’ll give Jones a cut. Jones says ok, he’ll give it his all. So they make the recording, the band is on fire, and Jones lays down his best live performance in years. Then all kinds of sh*t goes sideways, the story unfolds as Satterfield suggests, Jones dies, and so we have this low-range vulture convention where parties involved even get online to pish posh the tapes so they can throw others off the scent. When the tapes emerge as a box set with photographs and liner notes about the whole affair, some people get richer, some people continue to push the line that country music has “evolved” since George Jones, and while a few “Americana” rockers and their Stans throw their usual political snits, the rest of us kick back with our scotch and water and, listening, say damn Jones’s band could play and old Possum wasn’t half bad, now was he?
May 17, 2020 @ 4:40 pm
I agree fully with The Cornman. I love to geek out on this kinda stuff. Pour the bourbon, drop the needle and hear something that sat in the vaults. Yeah Boy!!!!!Gidee-up
May 17, 2020 @ 6:24 pm
Why do people have to try and dig up crap on people. George Jones is a country legend. Period. There isnt one person out there that can say they haven’t screwed up. Stop being jealous because of another’s success. Blame your failures. Read the bible.
May 17, 2020 @ 11:22 pm
D Sampson- I think you… Well I mean, I think your a plum idiot who is severely touched in the head. No one is throwing shade, the story is just being explained with the details that are available. So, calm your Bible Thumping Ass down and just chill Bro. Smoke some Mary Jane, it will be all right.
May 18, 2020 @ 10:41 am
Wow,
love it
May 18, 2020 @ 2:00 pm
Sorry,
This was placed in the wrong reply area.
Most likely my fault.
Meant, i loved Corncaster’s scenario
May 18, 2020 @ 6:46 am
more george jones is always good news.