( CNN ) -- Country music stars and fans alike honored George Jones on Thursday at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville . It was a fitting site for the late country music legend , who had been a member of the show since 1956 . Stars such as Randy Travis , Brad Paisley and Tanya Tucker paid homage to Jones , who died Friday at 81 , with music and heartfelt speeches . WSMonline.com , the website for the Nashville radio station that carries the Opry , and Opry.com were both down toward the beginning of the more than two-hour service , probably because of the large number of fans hoping to watch the event online . Grand Old Opry announcer Eddie Stubbs kicked off the memorial , introducing Tucker with the Imperials , who sang `` The Old Rugged Cross . '' Barbara Mandrell , who sang alongside Jones on her 1981 hit `` I Was Country When Country Was n't Cool , '' took the stage to say a few words about `` the greatest singer of all time in country music . '' Nobody will ever be able to fill Jones ' shoes , she added . Mandrell spoke about the time she met Jones as a 13-year-old on tour , saying , `` What a joy that memory is to me . '' She was followed by Kid Rock , who shared the chorus of an unfinished song he was writing for Jones : `` I may be a little slower , but I 'm still 12 steps ahead of you . '' `` Unfortunately , I did n't get to play that for him . So , Plan B , '' he said before launching into his song `` The Best of Me . '' As former first lady Laura Bush took the stage , she thanked Jones ' widow , Nancy , for giving her the opportunity to speak . `` When I was still in school , my friends and I must 've put 1,000 quarters in the jukebox to listen to 'The Race Is On , ' `` she said . She also recalled hearing Jones ' `` White Lightning '' blaring from the White House gym as `` George W. worked out on the treadmill listening to George J . '' `` In American music , George was truly a legend beyond compare , '' she said . `` We see that in the wonderful musical talent that 's gathered here to honor George and celebrate his life . ... Today , we 're left with the gift of his songs on Earth , and we can only imagine how beautiful the heavens now sound . '' Paisley , who sang `` Me and Jesus , '' encouraged those who might be less familiar with Jones ' work to buy his albums so they could see `` what all this ruckus is about . '' Jones ' close friend and protege Alan Jackson was the last to perform , singing Jones ' 1980 classic `` He Stopped Loving Her Today . ''
Stars and fans honored George Jones on stage at the Grand Ole Opry 2008 . Randy Travis , Brad Paisley and Tanya Tucker paid tribute to Jones . Laura Bush thanked Jones ' widow , Nancy , for giving her the opportunity to speak .