Alan Jackson – 20 Impressive Facts You Didn’t Know
Alan Jackson was born on October 17 1958 and grew up listening to gospel music. He attended Elm Street Elementary school and then Newnan High School. He went on to become one of the best selling music artists of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide.
He has had 66 songs on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart with 38 reaching the top 5 and an incredible 35 at number one!
Keep reading for more impressive facts about Alan Jackson.
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He Is A Multi-Award Winning Artist
Alan has been awarded 2 Grammy Awards, 16 CMA Awards and 17 ACM Awards as well as being a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Alan was also inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2017 by Loretta Lynn. The following year, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He Used To Sleep In A Corridor
Alan’s dad was a mechanic at Ford, but their family home was built around Alan’s grandpa’s tool shed. It had no running water and at one point Alan had to sleep in a corridor.
He Never Liked Music When He Was A Kid
The only music Alan listened to as a kid was Gospel songs and hymns. That all changed when a friend of his introduced him to country greats like Hank Williams Jr. and John Anderson’s music. He got to liking the music so much, he later moved to Nashville to pursue his own country music career.
He Prefers Sad Songs
Alan has written more than his fair share of country songs, some happy and some sad. But he prefers the sad ones. He says he prefers to write songs that people can connect to, songs like “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)” or “Sissy’s Song”.
His First Job Was In A Shoe Store
To help support his family, Alan got a job in a shoe store when he was 12 years old. Since then he has worked in a Kmart warehouse as a forklift operator in Georgia and in the mail room at The Nashville Network before becoming a country music star.
When They Married, Alan’s Wife Never Changed Her Surname
Alan Jackson married his high school sweetheart Denise, but when they married she never changed her surname, because her maiden name was Denise Jackson.
His First Band Were Named After A Box Of Nails
After graduating from high school, Alan’s first band was called Dixie Steel which was the name of a box of nails (Penn-Dixie Nails) in the basement of one of the band members.
He Appeared On A Reality TV Show Before He Was Famous
Alan appeared on the TNN reality TV show “You Can Be A Star”. He wasn’t a contestant, but a member of the audience who sang to lead the show into a commercial break. That was 3 years before he released his debut single.
He Has A Famous Pro Baseball Playing Cousin
Alan’s cousin is Brandon Moss, the MLB outfielder who played for a number of teams including the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies.
He Wears A Hat To Hide A Scar
We never see Alan without his trademark Stetson Rancher “SilverBelly” hat. The reason for this is it hides a scar on his head which was the result of a childhood accident.
He Has His Own Signature Whiskey
Alan Jackson has recently announced his signature whiskey, Silverbelly Whiskey which is named after his Stetson Rancher “SilverBelly” hat. It features “an aroma of brown sugar, sweet apple, cherry and honey”.
He Was In An Episode Of Matlock
In a 1992 episode of Matlock, Alan played a Country singer.
He Has An Unusual Favourite Sandwich
Alan has a favourite sandwich that might seem unusual to many of you, but back in Newnan, Georgia, it’s a popular choice. It features two slices of white bread covered with mayonnaise wrapped around pineapple rings. He even features the sandwich in his 1994 cookbook, “Who Says You Can’t Cook It All”.
He Had A Pet Monkey As A Child
When he was a youngster, Alan had a pet squirrel monkey. He now has a pet Yorkie dog called Coco who sleeps at the foot of the bed Alan shares with his wife. Coco has her own pink dog bed.
His Wife Is Responsible For Getting His First Record Deal
Alan’s wife Denise worked as a flight attendant and passed Alan’s demo on to Glen Campbell. He gave her his business card for his publishing company and the rest is history.
He Has A Co-Songwriter Called Jack
When Alan is busy writing songs he spends his time sipping Jack Daniels. He’s not a big drinker, but he does sip on JD while songwriting.
His Biggest Love Is Chocolate
Alan clearly has a sweet tooth, what with pineapple rings and mayonnaise sandwiches, but his absolute favourite food is chocolate. He acquired a taste for it as a child and it’s never left him.
He Restores Antique Cars
Alan also has a passion for old cars and spends his spare time collecting them. His first car, a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, has been reunited with Alan after Denise found it and bought it as a surprise for him.
He Has The Ability To Wiggle His Ears.
During a 2012 interview with USA Today, Alan admitted that he can wiggle his ears, a talent he inherited from his father.
His Favourite TV Channel In The Weather Channel
When he has some down time, Alan enjoys watching TV. His favourite channel is the weather channel, he has even gone so far as to say it’s an obsession.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alan Jackson wasn’t much into music growing up, in fact, he used to listen to gospel music until a friend introduced him to some of the greats of country music.
The line, “Take my hand let’s face eternity” is from the Alan Jackson song “I’ll Try”. Which was released in 1996.
The type of hat that Alan Jackson famously wears is a Stetson Rancher “Silverbelly”.
The TV series that Alan Jackson appeared in as a country singer was “Matlock”.
The Alan Jackson song that contains the line ”Did you weep for the children, they lost their dear loved ones” is “Where Were You (When the World Stops Turning)”.
When Alan Jackson was a child he had a pet squirrel monkey.
Alan Jackson’s first car was a 1955 Ford Thunderbird.
The Alan Jackson song that contains the lines “I wanna hear some Jones, My heart ain’t ready, For the Rolling Stones” is “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” which was the title track of his 1991 album.
Alan Jackson’s famous Pro Baseball playing cousin is Brandon Moss who has played for many Major League Baseball teams including; The Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athletics and the Cleveland Indians.
Alan Jackson’s debut single was called “Blue Blooded Woman” which was released in 1989.
The title of Alan Jackson’s first number one single is “I’d Love You All Over Again”. It was released in January 1991.
Alan and Denise Jackson’s pet Yorkie dog is called “Coco”.
Alan Jackson’s favourite sandwich according to his 1994 cookbook, “Who Says You Can’t Cook It All”, is pineapple and mayonnaise on white bread.
The title of Alan Jackson’s first studio album is “Here In The Real World” which was released on 27 February 1990.
The Eddie Cochran classic track that Alan Jackson covered was “Summertime Blues” which Alan released in 1994.
The Alan Jackson song which was released as a tribute to those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks was “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)”.
The title of Alan Jackson’s second christmas album was “Let It Be Christmas” which was released on October 22 2002. His first christmas album, “Honky Tonk Christmas” was released on October 12 1993.
The title of the duet that Alan Jackson sang with Zac Brown Band was “As She’s Walking Away” which was released on August 24 2010.
Do You Know Any More Facts About Alan Jackson?
If you know any more impressive facts about Alan Jackson, we’d love to know them too. Let us know in the comments.
