In honor of George Jones' illustrious country music career, the Academy of Country Music put together a short reel of the Possum's best moments at the ACM Awards. The clip honors Jones' ACM wins and most memorable performances from the 1970s and 1980s.

Perhaps the most touching moment of the two-minute collection comes when Jones takes the mic to say a few words after winning Top Male Vocalist of the Year in 1981.

"This is the greatest thrill of my life. You know, everybody says things like that, but the things that happened that were so good to me in the past few months -- all you people made it happen for me," he said, struggling to get his words out.

Not one to let the opportunity for a joke pass, Jones brightened the emotional moment by thanking his ex-wife, Tammy Wynette, and his new "husband-in-law" for their role in his success. In another moment, the country music legend poked fun at himself by participating in a joke about his tendency to be a no-show at big events.

The ACM's tribute montage also includes some of Jones' most memorable performances in the yearly awards program, including a rendition of 'We Didn't See a Thing,' with Ray Charles accompanying the Possum on the piano.

The short clip was created after Jones passed away at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. The country music community responded to the loss of one of their most talented musicians with shock and sadness.

After highlighting five or six of Jones' best ACM moments, the clip ends with a black screen and the words, "We'll miss you, George."

We couldn't have put it better ourselves.

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