Out To Pasture? Not Alan Jackson
To say that Alan Jackson has had a busy 24 hours doesn’t begin to tell the half of it. The 55-year-old entertainer who recently came back to his roots by releasing a critically-acclaimed bluegrass album started his Wednesday night off at the Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville to witness Lee Ann Womack and Kacey Musgraves perform his song “Livin’ On Love”, and to receive the CMT’s first ever Impact Award. “That song never sounded better,” said Alan about the Womack / Musgraves performance.
Meanwhile secretly across the street at the lower Broadway venue The Stage, they were setting up for an Alan Jackson secret show that would transpire just after the CMT Awards concluded. Reports of someone big loading into the spot had been swirling around Nashville all day, which is in the midst of its annual CMA Fan Fest festivities. Alan turned out to be the surprise entertainer, and played an extended set to a packed house of lucky Fan Fest revelers and VIP’s.
Then lo and behold, Jackson was up bright and early this morning conducting a press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame. When the presser was first announced last week, it had people speculating about what Jackson could be announcing, concerned that the last time a big country star called a press conference at the Hall of Fame, it was for George Strait’s announcement that he was retiring from touring. But Jackson’s announcement was to the contrary, telling the assembled press corps that he will be embarking on a 25-date, 25th Anniversary Tour marking a quarter century in the country music business. “A lot of people wanted to know if this was a retirement announcement,” Jackson told the curious crowd. “I don’t work that much now. I don’t know what I would retire from.”
READ: Alan Jackson’s Forgotten 1994 ACM Awards Protest
And that’s just where the big news begins for Alan Jackson. Also announced, the Country Music Hall of Fame will be putting together an Alan Jackson exhibit commemorating his 25 year career that will open on August 29th at the newly-expanded Hall. He has also been named The Hall’s latest “Artist in Residence” and will be playing a series of shows at the museum between October 8th thru the 22nd.
“It’s hard for anybody to really understand where I came from, to have all this happen and to get where I am today is truly the American dream,” Jackson said. “People don’t realize how we had nothing and I didn’t know anything about music. Somebody said ”¦ ‘You sound as good as some of those guys on the radio, you should move to Nashville.’ I said, ‘OK.’ That’s basically what happened. And we came up here and this happened. It’s just a miracle. I still just can’t believe all this is going on.”
As the 25 year mark of his upcoming anniversary tour denotes, Alan Jackson is one of the artists poised to take advantage of the potential move by the country music industry to better highlight Jackson and other artists like him who have recently been forgotten by radio. The potential launching a new “classic” country format has the radio world buzzing, and might give artists like Jackson the ability to once again be heard prominently on the radio. He also has a song in the upcoming Seth McFarlane movie A Million Ways to Die in the West, and is rumored to be a target of Scott Borchetta for the upcoming NASH Icons venture. Alan Jackson is a hot commodity to say the least.
No dates or locations for the 25th Anniversary Tour have been announced yet, but with all the renewed interest in country music’s Class of ’89 and Alan Jackson specifically, it promises to be a big one.
Out to pasture? Not Alan.
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June 5, 2014 @ 11:43 am
It does my heart good as an AJ fan to see this. While most of his stuff after 2002’s Drive hasn’t been as much to my liking as everything up to and including that album, it’s always been good, solidly traditional country music and I respect him immensely for sticking to it.
June 5, 2014 @ 9:06 pm
I actually think his two best albums have come after 2002, and I’m not talking about traditional country albums–Like Red on a Rose is an absolutely fantastic album that should be viewed as a classic, and The Bluegrass album was just phenomenal.
June 5, 2014 @ 12:36 pm
Not to mention he did a damn good job on the opening theme song to the new movie “a million ways to die”
June 5, 2014 @ 12:45 pm
You know, it’s possible, with the format split, that Alan may record some of the Countriest albums of his career. He’ll be able to make music as Country as he pleases, and it will actually get played on the radio. I’m excited. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
June 5, 2014 @ 1:37 pm
Yes! Yes! The destruction of country music might be what saves country music.
June 5, 2014 @ 1:00 pm
I just hope he comes around here again. Best concert I ever went to was an Alan Jackson concert.
June 5, 2014 @ 1:32 pm
I can’t believe Alan said “shit” in that “Million Ways To Die” movie theme song! Crikey mate! (lol)
July 21, 2014 @ 12:09 am
I was shocked when I heard Alan Jackson say that word
June 5, 2014 @ 3:39 pm
“Meanwhile secretly across the street at the lower Broadway venue The Stage, they were setting up for an Alan Jackson secret show that would transpire just after the CMT Awards concluded. Reports of someone big loading into the spot had been swirling around Nashville all day”
I’m in Nashville at the moment from the UK. It was not secret that Mr Jackson’s crew were setting up in the Stage – there was a fucking great big truck parked outside the venue for most of the morning with ALAN JACKSON written in huge letters down the side and crates of equipment being wheeled in.
Still, two doors down at Robert’s Western World Kenny Vaughan was sitting in with the Rachel Hester band (featuring her old man, the great Hoot Hester, on fiddle) for a couple of hours of classic old country and western swing songs. Now, that’s what I call a special event!
June 5, 2014 @ 4:01 pm
Well, I was not in Nashville from the UK or anywhere else, so I was just going by other accounts that I saw from reputable sources, but what I can say for sure is that the show itself was a secret, unannounced, as most shows with big artists in small venues must be (like happens at SXSW quite often) so that they don’t cause a mad dash or people problem for the venue. If people deduced it from the truck, so be it.
For example, earlier in the day, The Tennessean had tweeted out, “Hmmm… We saw some trucks loading into The Stage on Broadway. Wonder if there’s a big star playing there tonight after the CMT Awards?”
https://twitter.com/TNMusicNews/status/474284010727034881
June 5, 2014 @ 6:29 pm
Big Mac > Fish & Chips
Bourbon > Scotch
Superbowl > World Cup
and
Alan Jackson > Kenny Vaughan
June 5, 2014 @ 5:12 pm
I remember years ago seeing Willie Nelson say something about retirement. Then he paused & kicked into “On the Road Again”!!!
Saw Dolly Parton once go home & say exhausted, don’t remember if she said retirement. But a few days of rest & she was tapping her fingers, pacing hallways & had to get back out & perform.
My family new Johnny Paycheck during biker days. He used to perform private gigs 4 saddle back inn in Azusa Ca. He made plenty of mention of traveling being a nightmare but this dude always had to perform. Even when he ended up in the Chillicothe prison in OH he was performing for inmates daily. Him & Merle Haggard put together a prison gig one could find on youtube.
Michael Anthony of Van Halen used to live around me. People thought he retired. But no, he says he was fired.lol In a band called Chickenfoot. I don’t think this dude will EVER retire. lol
Alan Jackson will NEVER RETIRE. The greats never do. He will always perform somewhere.
June 5, 2014 @ 7:54 pm
” So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore ”
writer Adam Wright
artist : ALAN JACKSON
Grab a box of tissues , find a quiet place and crank up this gem . Then play me ANYTHING by the bro-boys that comes anywhere close to the emotional impact and the honesty in AJ’s performance of Adam’s beautiful COUNTRY song .
BTW , the song barely charted but was a Grammy nominee for country song of the year 2103.
June 5, 2014 @ 9:32 pm
I love that song! It’s such an emotional gut punch the first time you hear it. It’s so underrated. “Blue Ridge Mountain” is another emotional song I would suggest.
June 5, 2014 @ 11:23 pm
“Thirty Miles West” was quite a solid Alan Jackson effort, as was “The Bluegrass Album”. “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore” is actually among his twenty best individual cuts, in my opinion, and “You Go Your Way” and “When I Saw You Leaving (For Nisey)” are not too far off.
Was his 00’s inferior to the 90’s? Overall, yes. “Good Time” was such an uneven album with way too many tracks and an unacceptable amount of filler, let alone the worst song of his entire recording career (“Country Boy”). And “Freight Train”, though superior, Still, even then he released “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)”, “Designated Drinker”, “The Talkin’ Song Repair Blues”, “You Dont Have to Paint Me A Picture” and much of “Like Red on a Rose”……………it’s a tragic rarity to expect a track record of home runs like this on each respective album cycle.
I worried back in 2008 that we almost lost Alan Jackson when he released “Good Time”. That he officially was beginning his slide into laundry-list mediocrity between “Country Boy”, “Good Time” and “I Still Like Bologna”. How relieved I am that he quickly rebounded from that mediocre era and has since released some of his best work! =)
June 6, 2014 @ 12:11 am
Hey Noah,
What Alan Jackson album or albums would you recommend to a newbie?
June 6, 2014 @ 12:52 am
Depends on the context.
I think his most familiar album would probably either be “A Lot About Livin’
(And a Little ’bout Love)” in the earlier part of his career, or “Drive” for his later commercial peak. Either one would, more often than not, be cited as a “definitive work” of his.
However, neither of those albums are my personal favorite of his. That would be “Don’t Rock the Jukebox”, in my case. The songs are concise, but I think there’s a bit more range to them compared to his other records. It’s a well-rounded, representative album that highlights Jackson’s influences better than most, his working-class sensibilities, his sense of humor, and finally his tender side.
So, I’d say “Don’t Rock the Jukebox”, “Drive” and “A Lot About Livin’
(And a Little ’bout Love)” would be my choice for an introductory trifecta. In contrast, I consider his weakest albums to be “Who I Am”, “When Somebody Loves You” and “Good Time”.
June 6, 2014 @ 8:38 am
Designated Drinker”, “The Talkin”™ Song Repair Blues”, “You Dont Have to Paint Me A Picture”
Oh my Lord, yes. I rarely listen to What I Do anymore, as it came out during a really crappy time in my life, but it was full of good stuff. I also liked “Rainy Day In June,” “Strong Enough,” and “Monday Morning Church.” “Designated Drinker” was my favorite tune from Drive. I’d love to see George and Alan make a duet album at some point.
Re: Who I Am, I actually thought that was one of the two best albums he’s released along with Drive. “Livin’ On Love,” “Gone Country,” “Thank God for the Radio,” and “Job Description” were all classics, and the rest of it is pretty good too.
June 6, 2014 @ 10:31 am
Good call on Don’t Rock the Jukebox too, Noah. “Midnight in Montgomery” by itself was worth the price.
It should also be noted that they were able to get George Jones himself to make an appearance on that album, with “Just Playin’ Possum.” No small feat for a guy who was at the time only on his sophomore album.
June 6, 2014 @ 12:18 pm
Noah & the pistelero,
Thanks for the information.
I’ve always particularly liked the song “Midnight in Montgomery.”
June 6, 2014 @ 6:42 am
Couldn’t agree more with your assessment of AJ’s last few record’s Noah . The song ” Goodtime” WAS , indeed a scary moment for country music and AJ fans – ” Bologna” I’ve had to attend therapy for . I’m guessing there was serious pressure put on him ( and Strait , as well ) to try to “‘stay relevant ” . As much as I love George and his great-sounding voice and records , I have to be honest with myself- he’s made some B-A-D song choices too in the past 10-15 years too . Many singles barely saw chart action or airplay .The ones that DID seemed to make up for that fact scoring BIG .
The bewildering thing about guys like these two is that there is even ONE bad song on their records with all the great writers pitching great material to them . I really think they try to second guess themselves and err on the side of caution – they don’t wanna risk ‘rocking the jukebox’, as it were, so they release a lot of pap , sing-along drivel hoping to play the odds . GOODTIME was huge ….unfortunately …so I suppose if that’s the strategy it does pay off once in a while .Like A Rose was a big gamble by AJ …and I respect him for it . It wasn’t radio-freindly in the least but I’m not sure it was meant to be. These folks all have bills , recording costs to recover , crews , musicians , agents and promo people who all draw paychecks . I believe it was Mick Jagger who once said , upon being asked the ‘retirement’ question ( paraphrasing )” We could retire tomorrow but we’d put nearly a thousand people out of work and they all have families and have been with us a long time ” .I get that AJ may have a few similar commitments .The Bluegrass Record was another very interesting one . It really isn’t far off of what he’s always recorded material-wise . And it was very well received , apparently . But it could have been SO MUCH better if he’d actually recorded a trad -type Bluegrass record and , I think , let some great writers get involved with the project. I can’t help feeling it was half-baked even though it sounds pretty good and pretty comfortable for AJ , as the writer on most of it . Hopefully the success of THAT record will encourage AJ to stay the course and leave the ” Goodtime ” junk to the guys destined to become distant memories in a year or two .
June 6, 2014 @ 7:17 am
Dang guys, “I Still Like Bologna” is a really traditional Country song. I love that song. Why do you hate it?
June 6, 2014 @ 9:18 am
I agree with you Clint. I actually like that song too. It’s not the deepest, but sometimes I just enjoy a simple tune like “I Still Like Bologna.” I can’t believe nobody has pointed out his worst single he has released in recent years and that was “Long Way to Go.” Or what I call the “bug in my margarita song.” I got annoyed after listening to it once. It failed on the charts and on the radio.
Personally I would like to see him do some more duets with Zac Brown. I loved both duets they did and they sing well together. In fact, Jackson should do a duets album. I’d love to hear that.
June 6, 2014 @ 10:00 am
I agree too, “I still like bologna” is simple yet it reminds us to enjoy the little things in life, and not get too wrapped up in our digitized world we live in. Put down the Iphone and smell the fresh air once in awhile.
I also have to disagree that his “Good Time” cd was bad. That cd practically got me back into country. May not be his best but it sure was a good one to me.
June 6, 2014 @ 11:31 am
Don’t Rock The Jukebox is one of the great albums of the 90s. Probably top 5. I’ve never been the biggest AJ fan, but that album is essential. The rest of his output, I mostly am pretty neutral on, but that So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore song is quite possibly the best of his career. Also the album of classic country covers he did back in 1997 or so is pretty excellent. I’d sure take ANY of the “Class of 89” on the radio over the crap that’s out there now. All the way down to Doug Stone, who is still touring by the way.
June 6, 2014 @ 1:42 pm
There are two Alan Jackson albums I go back to any time I’m pulling up older music on YouTube the first is no one as well known but “Here in The Real World” is truly the album that made me an Alan Jackson fan for life, and it’s got my favorite song of his of all time “Home” it might just be an album cut, but it was great album cut that reminds me of my own grandparents home. Here in the Real World the song was just pure country.
Then of course there’s “Drive” I’ve always said that when 9/11 happened country music had the perfect songs to describe the mood of the country Alan Jackson perfectly captured the mourning side with “Where Were You” which was balanced by the pissed off Angry Side captured in Toby’s “Courtesy of The Red White and Blue.” And Drive is a wonderful tribute to his father that reminds me of my own father
June 6, 2014 @ 4:18 pm
Alan was one of my first country concerts. He played the Spectrum in Philadelphia right before they tore it down in 2008. I scored some incredible free seats from my uncle and as expected, Alan blew the rough off the place. I’ll be looking forward to seeing him again soon.
June 7, 2014 @ 7:14 am
Alan Jackson is my all-time favorite singer (in any genre) and for obvious reasons. He is simply a living legend! Even his bad stuff is 10x better than about anything else out there. From “Here In The Real World” to “Designated Drinker” to “Blue Ridge Mountain Song”, he has an endless catalog of songs that summarize what country music should be!
June 9, 2014 @ 10:28 am
I’m glad Alan Jackson is from Georgia. The people they’ve been signing from here lately make it hard on the rest of us trying stay off the pop charts.
http://www.facebook.com/jasonwhitemusicpage
June 9, 2014 @ 1:13 pm
Some may argue they are very different artists, but I think we are seeing a very critical point in country music this year.
Garth and Alan are flexing some muscle, and they really are the only two artists that can move the needle.
I don’t agree that the current demographic of country listeners won’t gravitate to these two when they put out some new music.
I think you will see Garth and Alan back in awards seats next year and a big shift from shit-country we hear today. Things have bottomed out, and these guys are stepping right in where only they can.