George Jones invites people on rollercoaster ride as he launches his autobiography 'Amazed'

‘Amazed’, which was officially launched last night, looks back on the 78-year journey of one of Northern Ireland’s finest entertainers.

George, who found fame on the showband scene through Clubsound and stood out as one of the Province’s top radio broadcasters for more than four decades, said he was “honoured and humbled” that so many people came to the launch at New Life City Church.

He said: “I'd been planning to write a book for many years and now eventually it's finished.

"I hope people enjoy my journey… it's been like a big dipper with the ups and downs in life.

“As I quoted on the last pages, ‘if you've enjoyed the book, please keep it or share it with someone … if you haven't, there's enough pages to light the fire for a year’."

George’s career could have been very different if he’d heeded his father’s advice.

When his dad was told by George that he wanted to go into the entertainment business he’d said: “You’ll never get anywhere playing that auld ukulele.”

It rocked George’s world causing him for many years to live against the will of his father, until a day came when his father admitted that he’d been wrong.

George has been making people laugh, cry, sing and dance for over five decades as a singer, entertainer and television host.

Celebrating over 50 years together, George’s band Clubsound – who scored hits with songs ‘Shankill Airways’ and ‘Belfast Belfast’ – are currently performing their farewell tour.

George said it was time to call it a day when he was the baby of the band at the age of 78.

The east Belfast man who now lives in Greyabbey will go down as one of Northern Ireland’s leading radio hosts thanks to his own wit and wisdom and the characters he created like Belfast Sadie.

It would be George’s charm that would allow famous people to reveal their secrets and on occasion, live on air, bringing hope to people who were seeking to end their lives.

In the book George opens up about the difficult times in his life and talks about how finding God has given him a new lease of life.

He said: “The turning point for me to Christianity was I suddenly realised that every talent I have was given to me by God.

“The ability to make people laugh, to make music, to entertain people on the radio, to broadcast – I suddenly realised that over the years they’d been given to me, it wasn’t created by myself.”

In 2020 when the world shut down due to Covid those in the entertainment business, like many others, lost their income.

What took place in George’s life was another miracle when a gift that his sister Lally had spotted in him over 60 years ago, that of painting, was reawakened. His artwork now goes around the world.

‘Amazed’ by George Jones is available on www.MauriceWyliemedia.com and on Amazon.