Independent country artist Waylon Hanel released “George, Why’d You Make Me Cry,” a tribute to George Jones, on October 23. The track is the second single from his upcoming EP, Price Of Smokes, due November 27 via CDX Records.
Written by Hanel and Billy Gunther, the song follows a narrator drinking away heartbreak in a bar while reflecting on Jones’s music. The single was produced by Ken Royster, whose credits include Luke Combs and Cowboy Troy, at Direct Image Studio in Nashville.
Hanel, a 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Millington, Michigan, won Artist of the Year in the Traditional/Classic Country category at the 2026 Josie Music Awards, according to the announcement. He plans to celebrate the EP’s release with a hometown party on November 25 in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Previous Hanel releases, including “New Old Outlaws (Rewind)” and “Lighten That Load,” reached MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Radio Chart, the announcement says.
Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Jason W. Ashcraft / JWA Media, jwamedia.com.