Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 21/05) - Neither snow and slippery roads, nor a ferry strike and tremendous distances were going to stop ardent George Jones fans from travelling to Yellowknife on Sunday.

Country music icon George Jones plays to a sold-out Multiplex in Yellowknife. Many Deh Cho residents travelled to the NWT capital to see "The Possum" perform live on Sunday. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

Irene McLeod turned the journey into a family affair, attending the concert with her husband, son, mother-in-law and granddaughter. The drive from Fort Liard took them more than 11 hours due to the inclement weather.

"It was worth the cold. It was worth the drive. It was worth the long wait in line," she said. "Just to actually see somebody who's a star, somebody you've heard since you were a little girl... to actually see them in person - and to sing the way he does at his age - it's out of this world."

The enthusiastic crowd erupted in cheers when Jones, a two-time Grammy winner, took the stage in Yellowknife. The energy remained high throughout the evening and many fans sang along word for word.

Jones opened the set with Why Baby, Why, which was the first hit of his career in 1955.

Paschalina Thurber, of Fort Providence, was enchanted by the tune Choices.

"It was awesome," she said of the concert. "We were sitting up in the bleachers, so we got to see him, we got to hear him."Others, like Kakisa's Lloyd Chicot, have flocked south to see Jones' show in Edmonton on Wednesday. Chicot is a second-generation Jones fan. He said he can remember hearing The Possum's tunes on an Alberta radio station and local record players while a child.

"When we went down-river, there used to be four or five tents and you'd hear George Jones or whichever record they could get a hold of," Chicot said, chuckling.

Although Jones turned 74 on Sept. 12, the aging crooner still had some sex appeal in his grey suit and cowboy boots.

Two star-struck women threw their underwear on stage midway through the concert.

Amused security staff escorted the uninhibited fans away from the stage as Jones grinned.

Thurber couldn't quite put her finger on what makes Jones so charismatic.

"He's got something," she said, laughing.

McLeod added, "He has a song for everybody." He Stopped Loving Her Today is her favourite.

She said she hopes he will come back again, but next time she and her husband plan to be members of his official fan club so they can get backstage passes.

- with files from Daron Letts