Country music star George Jones begins farewell tour

Country music legend George Jones has embarked on his final tour, the singer's spokesman said on Monday.

Jones, 81, whose near six-decade career is best known for the hits "White Lightning" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today," is marking the end of the era with a farewell tour called "The Grand Tour," which is scheduled to finish in November 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee, the country music capital.

"After this (tour) he's done with touring," Jones' spokesman Jeremy Westby told Reuters.

Jones kicked off the tour last week and the Nashville show is set for November 22, 2013. So far, just 26 performances have been announced, but more dates are expected.

Jones canceled several concerts in April and May this year after suffering an upper respiratory infection, raising fears for his long-term health.

Westby said that although Jones was ending touring, he hoped to make more records. "He's been talking about doing another record next year with Dolly (Parton)," he said.

Jones earned the nickname "No-Show Jones" at the peak of his success in the 1970s for famously missing several live performances because of drunkenness. The Country Music Hall of Famer gave up drinking after a 1999 car accident.