Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson is one of the most successful men in Country Music. His career has spanned several decades and produced hit after hit. Known as one of country music’s most adamant traditionalists, Jackson stays true to his sound and what he believes country music should be. He has sold over 40 million records and received many awards and nominations from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association, and others. Not only is Jackson an accomplished singer and performer but also a highly developed songwriter. Jackson is a family man with wife Denise and kids Mattie Denise, Alexandra ‘Ali’ Jane and Dani Grace.
Not Your Typical Country Music Star Story
Jackson had many odd jobs before he made it to the big time. In fact Jackson didn’t form his first band, Dixie Steele, until after high school. During this time Alan married his high school sweet heart and began working on his very first demo. Thanks to his wife Denise the demo fell into the right hands. She was working as a flight attendant at the time and happened to be serving Glen Campbell who listened to the demo and hooked Jackson up with Arista Records where he soon signed. Jackson became the first artist signed to the labels country division.
Alan Jackson: Stickin’ To His Roots
Alan Jackson has been called a ‘traditionalist’ when it come to the kind of country music he makes and you can see this from his first album. In 1989 he released Here In The Real World, which kicked off a string of down home hits and very successful records. In 1999 when George Jones refused to perform at the CMA’s because of the continued pop sound of the music, Jackson changed his performance in the middle of a song and began performing Jones’ “Choices.” He would later work with George Strait on the song “Murder on Music Row,” to show his ideas about how country music had changed for the worse towards a more rock-pop sound. Country Music Collaborations and Hits Soon after his career began to take off Jackson started writing music and joining with other artist write and create. He wrote three hit songs with Randy Travis; “Forever Together,” “Better Class of Losers” and “I’d Surrender All.” Later Travis would help to write Jackson’s hit “She’s Got the Rhythm and I got the Blues.” Several other songs Jackson has co-written include, “If I Could Make a Living” with Clay Walker, “Till I Was Loved By You” with Chely Wright, and “I Can’t Do That Anymore” with Faith Hill.
Perhaps one of Jackson’s greatest hits came after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Jackson wrote and released the song “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning).”
Another memorable chart topper was “Remember When” the hit Jackson wrote for wife and high school sweet heart Denise. The song was in celebration of the two’s recommitment to their marriage, Denise and Alan had separated for a period of time.
The music video for the song not only features he and his wife, but his daughters as well. Denise also wrote about the experience and her marriage in her book It’s All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life. The book not only talks about the marriage but Denise’s Christianity and life after Jackson’s stardom. The book was on the New York Times Best Sellers List for 2007. She is set to release another book in 2008.
