Road from Rags to Riches

Exit 49  I-95n in GA To: GA 251, to Darien, GA


As the tall man in the cowboy hat made his way through the New York City audience, some thought they saw a tear in his eye.  “It’s such an honor to be included with all these people,” a humble and visibly moved Alan Jackson said as he became a member of the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame at the organization’s annual induction gala in June 2018. ​

Despite it being New York City, yes Alan from Newnan Georgia wore his signature ten gallon hat. As written in Billboard Magazine:


“In this era of canned hits, boy band production values and me too braggadoccio ,Alan Jackson modestly writes his own Country and Western hit songs and you can tell they are as personal as any poetry written by some modern day Shakespeare. Maybe it is because he is the real thing: a classy  down on the farm talent with a word-smithing soul. Whether its a joyful insight into geography with his hit, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”  to a subtle reflection on time and change as with his first ever number one hit single entitled “I’d Love You All Over Again,” Alan Jackson mines his soul , the world around him, and old country standards for insights to truths as plain as the nose on your face.”


As his website says:


With hits like “Remember When” and “She likes it too”  when it comes to deeply autobiographical storytelling that resonates with the masses, no singer-songwriter does it better than Alan Jackson. Whether it's the honky-tonk-styled “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” or his quietly evocative 9/11 tribute “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?”  he delivers graphic and universal images shared by millions. ​

That’s because like a painter,  Jackson  “visualizes” his music, drawing from his own experiences.


His wife Denise is a big inspiration.  She supported the family as a flight attendant back in the days when the penniless Star struggled to break out. ​

​When asked about his evolution as a song writer, and whether he wrote poetry or short stories back in school Alan replied simply, “It must just be a gift from heaven. I don’t know where it came from. I never wrote a song in my life until I was in my early 20s.”


But no doubt the marriage and daughters with Denise is a recurring theme. And a country singer’s dream. It embodied the very themes of the singer’s own hits—a rags-to-riches story of high-school sweethearts who find superstardom without sacrificing true love.

In the days leading up to his induction into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame the keeper of 35 “Number #1” Country Hits is still sharing his stories — cowboy hat and all.  And since he recently announced a World Tour in 2020, we at RoadSpoke look forward to many more to come.    


#9/11 #AlanJackson #DeniseandAlanJackson #Countrywestern #NewnanGeorgia #RagstoRiches #SongwritersHallofFame ​

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