The Foundation

Alan Jackson is the foundation of Country Music. Since his 1989 debut, Alan has produced one of the finest bodies of Country Music. His well crafted, commercially successfully, traditional, Country singles have been a beacon of excellence in unsettled musical times.

Born in Newnan, Ga. on Oct. 17, 1958 Alan spent much of his early adult life selling cars, driving forklifts, and hoping for a career in music. The career started when Alan’s wife, Denise, who was a flight attendant, happened upon Glen Campbell in an airport. She approached Campbell and told him about her husband and his dream. Campbell invited them to come to Nashville, and eventually gave Alan a job writing songs for his publishing company. Alan, first though, had to take another job working in the mailroom of The Nashville Network.

Alan was delivered from the mailroom by Tim DuBois. Arista Records had vast success

Alan Jackson -

The Foundation of Country Music

in the pop music world under its legendary founder Clive Davis. Davis’ instincts had told him the late eighties were the time to establish a presence in Nashville. Davis retained Tim DuBois to head Arista’s Nashville division. DuBois, a former producer and songwriter, was impressed with Alan’s singing and songwriting, and moved to sign him to a recording contract.

The story reportedly goes that Davis jetted in from New York to help close the first artist singing for Arista Nashville. Alan arrived, fresh from working on his car, in jeans, T-shirt, and cowboy hat. Davis, in suit and tie, unleashed a vast narrative about the music business with himself as the key figure. After hearing the impressive narrative, Alan finally spoke reportedly telling Davis, “If I had known who you were, I would have been too afraid to show up.” Nonetheless Alan signed with Arista Nashville as it’s’ flagship artist.

On Oct. 21, 1989 Alan’s first single “Blue Blooded Woman” was released. Arista Nashville was the first big record label to move into Country Music in years. It had few radio contacts and little experience promoting Country artists. “Blue Blooded Woman” started slow and faded fast, topping out at #45.

Alan’s next single did more than save his career or make him a star, it would come to symbolize what Alan’s music was all about. The self - penned “Here In the Real World” talked about reality. Alan’s music would come to symbolize the realness of life for the average person. “Here In the Real World” went to number three. It was the first in a string of 27 straight top ten singles for Alan. Alan’s debut album, “Here In the Real World” produced four top ten singles and sold over a million copies. It signaled Alan was a star on the raise. He was not alone.

Alan was part of the Class of 89, a group of young, talented singer - songwriters who emerged over the course of the year 1989. The Class of 89, Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Travis Tritt, Mary Chapin - Carpenter, and Alan, were redefining Country Music. Posting unheard of sales numbers and bringing in vast amounts of new, positive exposure for Country Music were only part of the Class of 89’s legacy.

Alan’s second album “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” established his major presence in this legacy. The title track became the Single of the Year in 1991. Three more number one singles, and a top five followed. “Don’t Rock the Jukebox sold over two million copies, and won Album of the Year from the Academy of Country Music.

In the summer of 1993 Alan moved from raising superstar to mega-star. “Chattahoochee,” one of the most successful and awarded singles in Country history, ignited sales of Alan’s third album “A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ‘Bout Love )” to over six million and carried “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” to sales of four million. Whether album sales, video, - “Chattahoochee” was the most popular video of 1993 - or touring - Alan’s tour was one of top five attended Country concerts from 1994 to 1998 - “Chattahoochee” enhanced Alan’s career in every aspect.

A living legend whose

place in the Country Music Hall

of Fame is ensured

Alan’s plethora of hits kept growing with the release of “Who I Am” in 1994. Three straight number singles including classics “Livin’ On Love” and “Gone Country” propelled “Who I Am” to sales of over four million.

In 1995 Alan was awarded Country Music most prestigious honor, the CMA’s Entertainer of the Year award. A few weeks later Alan released his 20 song Greatest Hits Collection. It became Alan’s third number one album and his first album to debut at number one. It has sold over six million copies, and is one of the top-selling Country catalog albums.

In 1996 Country Music hit a sales slump. Too many Garth, Vince, Shania, and Alan impersonators lowered the music quality. Several “stars” released albums of questionable quality affecting their popularity and the popularity of the genre as a whole. Despite the genre's sales slump Alan’s 1996 “Everything I Love” was still able sell over three million copies. It produced five top ten singles including two number ones. However the sixth single, “A House With No Curtains” ended Alan’s string of 27 straight top ten singles by topping out at number eighteen.

“A House With No Curtains” may have faltered because it was released during a turbulent time in Alan’s personal life. Alan and Denise separated causing sensational headlines in numerous tabloids. The two reconciled five months later. “I’ll Go On Loving” the lead single from Alan’s 1998 release “High Mileage” was a message to Denise. It was also one of the most unique Country singles in years. The verses of the enduring love song were recited while the chorus was sung.

Some radio station program directors found the line about a man watching his lover slipping off her dress risqué’ and refused to play “I’ll Go On Loving”. Nonetheless, the song made it to number three and helped spur “High Mileage” to debut at number one making it Alan’s fifth number one album.

Alan’s 1999 critically acclaimed and commercially successful album of Country cover songs “Under the Influence” solidified his status as a modern day standard bearer for traditional Country. Alan enhanced his position further by doing a duet with George Strait on the controversial “Murder on Music Row” which criticized several aspects of today’s Country Music industry. The song won George and Alan the 2000 CMA for Vocal Event of the Year.

The CMA Awards have proved defining for Alan. In 1999 the legendary George Jones was offered only a minute to perform his nominated song “Choices”. When Jones learned artists dueting with pop acts were offered full performance slots, he decline to perform or even attend the show. The ensuing controversy was enhanced when Jones was involved in a near fatal car accident. Visiting Jones in the hospital, Alan was moved to act. During his CMA performance of “Pop a Top” Alan broke into “Choices” bringing the crowd to their feet. Jones called it the greatest tribute ever paid him. Unending praise from fans, fellow artists, and the media followed.

Another, even more impacting, CMA Award moment happened at 2001 show. The show airing just weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, was moment debut his incredible tribute to 9/11 – “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning). The song and its powerful message earned Alan a standing ovation.

The next morning, Country radio stations were receiving a flood of requests. With no official version of the song available, they started playing the version recorded off the CMA Award show. The song debuted at #25, Alan highest debut on the Country singles chart, even before he could record an official version.

“Where Were You…” became yet another mega-single for Alan. It propelled the album “Drive” to debut number one on both the Country and Pop album charts with a robust 423,000 units sold in its first week.

“Drive” helped Alan become the sixth Country artist to debut at number one on both charts. "Drive" which has sold over four million copies, was named the 2002 CMA & ACM Album of Year. It was one of a record tying five CMA Awards won by Alan in 2002 including his second Entertainer of the Year Award. In fact, Alan received a record setting ten nominations for that CMA Award show.

Another major single from the album “Drive” was “Drive (For Daddy)”, a tribute to Alan’s late father. The song beautiful wove Alan experience of driving with his father into his experience of driving with his children. The song went to number one and earned numerous award nominations.

Alan continued to generated hits and creating amazing albums. “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and “Remember When” became major hits with the former staying number one for eight weeks. Alan took home the 2003 CMA Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year.

In 2006 Alan record “Precious Memories”, a collection of old Gospels hymns, for his mother. Alan was not going to release “Precious Memories” to the public until his record label head, Joe Galante, heard it, and demanded it be released.

Country artist used to record Gospel albums all the time, but since 1980, no major Country artist had done so. “Precious Memories” was release with few commercial expectations, but would go on to debut at number one on the Country album chart, and sell over one million copies. It was also nominated for CMA Album of the Year.

Country music is in turbulence. Acts are going pop, traditional, and everything in-between searching for their niche. Radio sucks up and spits out artists left and right depending on what radio consultants think of the artist’s latest song. For every Carrie Underwood there are two dozen acts you will never remember.

A constant force in Country Music is rare, but those who exist are Country’s foundation. George Strait is an example. Alan Jackson is another. Interestingly both men are traditionalist. Perhaps traditional Country Music is the foundation of the Country Music genre. If so, Alan Jackson is in a stable position, just like a good foundation.