Alan Jackson, Grand Ole Opry member and Grammy award winning country singer, turns 58 today. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a quarter of a century since he released his debut album, “Here in the Real World.”
The word legend is overused but in Jackson’s case entirely justified. How many other artists have sold nearly 60 million albums, won 18 ACM awards, 16 CMA awards and two Grammy’s?
Jackson’s career spans three decades and he shows no signs of slowing down. Back in the day, he was ACM Top New Male Vocalist in 1990 and most recently the ASCAP 2014 Country Music Heritage Award winner. He’s still touring and his latest album is, “Angels and Alcohol.”
The “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow” singer won’t be working on his birthday, but he is booked through the rest of the year and well into 2017!
Along the way Jackson has won 7 ASCAP Songwriter/Artist of the year awards, a distinction that holds special meaning for him, “If I had to pick something, I’d rather them remember me for songwriting,” he said.
According to Jackson, his current album, “Angels and Alcohol,” is about “alcohol abuse and how it effects your whole life and relationships and dealing with your own problems. It’s just hard to do anything when that has an effect on you.”
Jackson and his wife Denise have three daughters, Mattie, Alexandra and Dani. He wrote, “You Can Always Come Home,” from his current album, with his three daughters in mind.
After all the accolades and awards, the Georgia native has remained humble and down to earth.
My wife, Denise, and I still sit down and look back and think: ‘What in the world? How did all this happen?” he reveals. “From where we came from to come up here and have all this happen, she thinks this is divinely orchestrated. I’ve seen people have one or two hits and disappear, and if they are lucky, their career would last five years and that’s what I was expecting. Now we are here 25 years later and I’m still able to go out and play if I want to and sell a few records. It’s amazing.”
To keep up with the amazing Alan Jackson, be sure to visit his website and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Written by Tanya Clark