Their separation inspired "He Stopped Loving Her Today, " a towering ballad about a doomed love.

WSJ: Honky-Tonk Singer George Jones Dies at 81

Jones recorded the track He Stopped Loving Her Today in 1980.

BBC: George Jones, American country singer, dies aged 81

And yet at this time he recorded perhaps his greatest song, 1980's "He Stopped Loving Her Today, " the tale of a man who continued pining for his lost love many years after she left him.

CNN: Country music legend George Jones dies at 81