ALAN JACKSON CAPS DECADES-LONG TOURING CAREER WITH FANS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS
“We’re going to have a good time is what we’re going to do!” Alan Jackson said from the stage Saturday night in Nashville…and that’s exactly what he and more than 80,000 people across Music City did.
The occasion was Last Call: One More for the Road - The Finale – presented by Edward Jones and Silverbelly Whiskey – the last concert of Jackson’s storied career and a celebration of the many miles he’s traveled…and the many lives he’s touched with his music and songwriting.
Jackson’s rich baritone was in as fine a form as ever as he took the stage at Nissan Stadium for a nearly two-hour set spanning the career that’s earned him multiple lifetime achievement awards and a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Opener “Gone Country” led the way, followed by two dozen more songs ranging from his first hit, “Here in the Real World,” to his most recent “The Older I Get.” An acoustic set mid-show even included a line from “Still the One,” a new single released last week.
The crowd erupted as one troubadour was joined by another when George Strait joined Jackson onstage for the duets they recorded over the years. The two statesmen of the genre each grabbed a drink, raised their glasses in a toast, took a sip, then segued into “Designated Drinker” and “Murder on Music Row.”
Phones held aloft by the sold-out audience inside the stadium illuminated the night during “Remember When” and “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).” And those same people – most already standing – were all on their feet as fireworks erupted for set closer “Chattahoochee” and Jackson’s encore of “Mercury Blues” and “Where I Come From.”
“This has just been incredible,” Jackson told the crowd. “I don’t even have words – it’s just been completely overwhelming.”
Jackson’s performance was also experienced live by thousands more people than those gathered inside the home of the Tennessee Titans. Livestreams at Belmont University’s Fisher Center and the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMA Theater drew several hundred…while several thousand watched Jackson’s farewell – as well as the complete all-star lineup of artists who “opened” for him – on screens staged in the center of Broadway; people filled the closed street and gathered on the rooftops of the honky-tonks that line the thoroughfare. Still more listened and sang along over the Cumberland River from the pedestrian bridge connecting the stadium to downtown.
In an evening that included nine Entertainers of the Year – not counting Jackson – the Hall of Famer’s impact was clearly felt. “Alan taught me how to dream,” Luke Bryan said, while Cody Johnson noted, “His songs so many times have been the story of my life.” Lainey Wilson credited Jackson’s songwriting, pointing out “His songs were about real things”…a sentiment echoed by Luke Combs who shared, “He has so many nuances in his ability to write songs and there are so many things to love about Alan. It’s a damn special night.”
“I am a massive fan of Alan Jackson, not only as a singer, as a songwriter, but as a country music artist…as someone who stood up for country music in big moments his entire career,” Eric Church told the crowd…while Carrie Underwood recounted how the first concert she ever attended was a Jackson show. “I had the worst seats in the whole place, and it was still one of the greatest concert experiences that I have ever experienced,” she recalled, adding, “Tonight will eclipse that.” And it did.
Those names – along with Riley Green, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Jake Owen, Jon Pardi, Thomas Rhett, Lee Ann Womack, and Jackson’s nephews and niece Adam, Brian and Carlisle Wright – united onstage for a once-in-a-lifetime performance of Jackson’s hit “Pop a Top,” a moment that set the stage for the NBC TV special Alan Jackson: The Last Show that’ll air in December.
Jackson’s family – so frequently reflected in his lyrics and music – were on-hand…and the icon frequently cited them throughout the emotion-filled concert. He smiled broadly as he talked about his “4.75 grandchildren” (he has four, with one “on the way”). Wife Denise…daughters Mattie, Ali, Dani and their spouses could be seen smiling, swaying, and singing along…just like the thousands of people surrounding them.
Video tributes from artists greeted fans all evening long, ranging from NASCAR greats like Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon…football coaching legend and current analyst Nick Saban…country hitmakers like Ella Langley and Chris Stapleton…veteran performers like Reba McEntire and Dwight Yoakam…and fellow superstars like Taylor Swift, who performed to honor Jackson several years ago when he was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Kenny Chesney who recounted, “When I was in college, I sat up on a barstool with a tip jar in front of me and I played a lot of my heroes songs. I played a lot of Alan Jackson songs.” adding, “I love your music, and I love you.”
Those in attendance included NFL and NBA stars…celebrities from the worlds of music and TV…and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who earlier proclaimed Saturday, June 27 “Alan Jackson Day” in the State of Tennessee.
Jackson’s concert – presented by Edward Jones and Silverbelly Whiskey – marked the end of Jackson’s touring career but…as concert host Kelly Sutton (and Jackson himself) reminded the audience…his retirement from the road does not spell the end of his songwriting and recording career. Last Call: One More for the Road may have been “the finale” of one chapter in Jackson’s life and career, but over 80,000 people – from 32 countries, including such faraway places as Australia, Brazil and Europe – will tell you that chapter ended in the best way possible.
The album Last Call: One More for the Road - The Finale (Live from Nashville) is available for pre-order HERE.
