Country music legend George Jones died in 2013 at the age of 81 as one of the most revered vocalists in music history. He may have sung country music, but he lived a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle that rivaled even the most notorious rock stars. The miracle is not in his voice (which was iconic and instantly recognizable) but that he lived to see the other side of excess and failure.

Bob Allen is a longtime music journalist who first published this biography on Jones years ago and now revisits the story. Much had changed in the years following the original publication of George Jones: The Life and Times of a Honky Tonk Legend. Jones spent his final years clean and sober, toured on end and arrived to shows on time (finally shaking that ‘No-Show Jones’ nickname) and was able to enjoy the accolades of a 60-year recording career. This is an opportunity for a happy conclusion to the story Allen wrote the first time around.

Jones’s music is timeless. Jones sang songs full of chaos and heartache—so much heartache—similar to the life he led on the road. His story is full of ex-wives, bankruptcies, artistic failures, crashed cars and everything else that makes for a great country song.

Jones was able to obtain some peace and redemption late in life. Allen adds an addendum to tie up those loose ends on the last few years that were marked by recognitions like the Kennedy Center Honors, Country Music Hall of Fame and a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.