The Grand Ol Opry will host the funeral for George Jones. A public funeral will be held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville for country music icon George Jones, who died last Friday.

Jones' publicist Kirt Webster released a statement indicating that the funeral will be held Thursday starting at 10 AM at the Grand Ol Opry and open to the public. Webster says Jones would have wanted his fans to join in paying their respects. 

On Wednesday evening, there will also be a private visitation for family, friends and fellow performers.

Jones was admired by scores of others, including both several fellow country artists and mainstream artists such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Costello, Pete Townshend, James Taylor, and Alan Jackson. He was married to Tammy Wynette and recorded duets with Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and others. "If we all could sound like we wanted to, we'd all sound like George Jones," Waylon Jennings sang in one of his songs.

"No one in country music has influenced so many other artists," said the noted songwriter Bobby Braddock, who wrote over 29 songs for Jones. "There will never be another George Jones."

Numerous other country stars have made remarks mourning the loss.

The greatest voice to ever grace country music will never die," Garth Brooks said. "Jones has a place in every heart that ever loved any kind of music."

Merle Haggard said, "The world has lost the greatest country singer of all time. Amen." And Dolly Parton said, "My heart is absolutely broken. George Jones was my all time favorite singer and one of my favorite people in the world."

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the Grand Ole Opry trust fund or to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Jones was noted for his hard-living life, including problems with substance abuse, brawls with others, divorces, and close brushes with death. But he'll be remembered for his distinctive voice and his chart-topping hits such as "He Stopped Loving Her Today." He was 81.