Alan Jackson

October 17, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Alan Eugene Jackson, an American country music singer-songwriter born on October 17, 1958, is among the most prominent country musicians of the 1990s and early 21st century. Jackson has released around 20 albums, each with songs that charted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The majority of his works have received critical acclaim and hundreds of prizes.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Alan Eugene Jackson

Nickname:

Guitar Man

Birth date:

October 17, 1958

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Libra

Height:

6' 4"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$150 million

Background

Alan Eugene Jackson is one of the people who has helped keep the country music legacy alive. The youngest of five children, he was born on October 17, 1958, in Newnan, Georgia, to Ruth Musick and Joseph “Daddy Gene” Jackson. The family struggled financially, so Jackson began working odd jobs at a shoe store when he was 12. His love affair with music began with gospel music before he was inspired to pursue a career in country music after a friend introduced him to it. His idols were famous American country singers, John Anderson and Gene Watson. Jackson and his wife Denise met in high school. They courted for a few years before marrying in 1979 and having three children, Matie Denise, Alexandra Jane, and Dani Grace.

To pursue his dream, Jackson relocated to Nashville, where he managed the mailroom of The Nashville Network, a television channel dedicated to country music. Jackson became the first singer signed to Arista Records, a country label, in 1989, and his debut album, “Here in the Real World,” was released in the same year. Jackson’s lasting popularity was reinforced by recent releases, such as “Good Time” (2008), “Thirty Miles West” (2012), “The Bluegrass Album” (2013), and “Angels and Alcohol” (2015). ‘As She’s Walking Away,’ a collaboration with the Zac Brown Band, earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 2011. Jackson has won numerous industry honors, including the Country Music Association’s performer of the year award in 1995, 2002, and 2003.

His more recent albums include “Freight Train,” “Thirty Miles West,” and “Precious Memories Volume II,” his second gospel album. He also performed the opening credits music for the film “A Million Ways To Die In The West.” In 2017, Jackson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Career timeline

1989

Jackson’s First Step Toward Fame

Alan Jackson signs with Arista Records and releases his debut album, “Here in the Real World.”

1992

Jackson’s Year

“Don’t Rock The Jukebox” receives Album of the Year at the 27th Academy of Country Music (A.C.M.) awards and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers’ Song Of The Year award.

2001

Best Country Song

Jackson’s ‘Where Were You (When The World Was Stopping)’ wins two A.C.M. awards.

2002

A Grammy Awardee

He wins the Best Country Song Grammy Award for ‘Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning).’

2011

Collaborative Award with Zac Brown

Jackson and the Zac Brown Band receive the Grammy Award for ‘As She’s Walking Away.’

Why We Love Alan Jackson

His love for country music is awe-inspiring
In the early 2000s, Alan Jackson made headlines with a song called ‘Murder on the Music Row,’ which criticized the declining popularity of country music. Although it wasn’t part of an album, this single reached the top of numerous music charts, and many country music fans praised Jackson for keeping the genre’s classic style alive with the song.
He knows how to give back
In 2002, a tornado struck Jackson’s hometown of Newnan, Georgia, resulting in millions of dollars in damage and loss. Jackson realized he needed to do something to aid the area he grew up in. He organized a benefit concert and donated the revenue to a foundation dedicated to rebuilding the city and assisting its citizens.
He helped a nation heal
Only eight weeks after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Jackson gave words to the nation’s complicated emotions. During the Oscars, he performed a moving rendition of ‘Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),’ bringing audience members to their feet and fans at home to tears.

5 Surprising Facts

He had various odd jobs
Alan Jackson worked in a shoe store before getting hired as a forklift driver at a Kmart warehouse.
He initially didn’t like music
He listened to gospel music when he was younger and never really enjoyed any other kind of music.
He has a hidden talent
Jackson revealed that he can wiggle his ears.
He has weird taste in sandwiches
Pineapple with Mayonnaise is his go-to sandwich.
He’s obsessed with the weather channel
Jackson has even described himself as a “Weather Channel junkie.”

Alan Jackson FAQs

What disease does Alan Jackson have?

Alan Jackson has stated that he was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth, a neurological disorder.

Did Alan Jackson retire?

Jackson’s musical career is still thriving! He released his latest album, “Where Have You Gone,” in 2021. His Last Call: One More for the Round Tour starts in June 2022.