George Jones knew he would not live to see the birth of his great-grandchildren, so he wrote them a letter before he died in 2013.

The country legend had left his tempestuous past of alcohol and drug abuse behind him by the time he was nearing the end of his life. By all accounts, after decades of addiction and difficult marriages. the "He Stopped Loving Her Today" singer was scared straight after a near-fatal car accident while under the influence in March of 1999. He settled into a quiet life that revolved around his family while he was not working.

When Jones knew the end of his life was drawing near, he wrote a letter to his adopted grandson, a 13-year-old boy from Guatemala named Carlos, to read after his death, telling him he had to be the man of the house now.

Jones wrote a separate letter to his granddaughter Jennifer's unborn twins for them to read later in life. Jones' family has never discussed the contents of that letter in public.

That's just one of the stories Taste of Country covered in a recent episode of The Secret History of Country Music, a video series that explores some of country music's greatest untold stories. Every Monday, Taste of Country News host Ania Hammar reveals the hidden histories behind country music's biggest hits, moments and artists.

Carrie Underwood, Eric Church and Garth Brooks are among the artists already featured,  with many more to come. Be sure to subscribe to Taste of Country's YouTube channel so you never miss a new episode.

Watch More Secret History of Country Music:

See the House George Jones Built for Tammy Wynette

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