Born 68 Years Ago Today in Georgia, the Country Music Hall of Famer Who Helped Revive the Genre With a String of 90s Classics

On this day (October 17) in 1958, Alan Jackson was born in Newnan, Georgia. He burst onto the country music scene in 1989. A year later, his traditional country sound was dominating the charts. This early success helped him and a handful of other relative newcomers push the genre away from slick pop production and back to its roots. After dozens of chart-topping hits and a trophy case full of awards, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Jackson listened almost exclusively to gospel music as a child. Then, a friend introduced him to the music of Hank Williams Jr., John Anderson, and Gene Watson. Later, he discovered George Jones and Merle Haggard, who were his biggest influences. After finishing high school, he married his high school sweetheart and joined a band called Dixie Steel. Before long, he was touring regionally, working a series of blue-collar jobs, and dreaming about pursuing music full-time.

Alan Jackson Goes to Nashville

Alan Jackson was 27 years old when he and Denise moved to Nashville in 1985. She began working as a flight attendant, and he took a job in the mailroom at TNN. While there, he would sit in the audience during tapings of You Can Be a Star. During one episode, he sang “He Stopped Loving Her Today” while the show cut to a commercial break. Interestingly, his future producer, Keith Stegall, was in the audience for the impromptu performance.

According to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Denise helped him get his first big break. She recognized Glen Campbell on a flight and handed him Jackson’s demo. He gave her his manager’s business card and told her to give him a call. Over the next few years, he sang demos and honed his songwriting skills.

Eventually, Jackson became the first artist signed to Arista Nashville. He released his debut single, “Blue Blooded Woman,” in 1989. It peaked at No. 46. He followed that with “Here in the Real World,” the title track from his debut album. It reached No. 3 on the Hot Country Songs chart. It was the first of 51 top 10 hits. In 1991, he notched the first of 26 No. 1s with “I’d Love You All Over Again.”

Jackson Is a Living Legend

Alan Jackson is nothing short of a living legend. He and artists like Randy Travis, George Strait, and Clint Black helped reintroduce traditional instrumentation and songwriting to country music. Soon, their neotraditional style dominated the genre, which helped boost its popularity and profitability.

Jackson has won several awards. However, one of his most impressive achievements didn’t come with a trophy. He is one of four songwriters to have written and recorded 20 songs that became No. 1 singles. Merle Haggard, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon make up the rest of the list.

[RELATED: 5 Timeless Alan Jackson Songs That Aren’t “Chattahoochee”]

“Merle and George and Hank. A lot of young people liked that music when I was growing up,” Jackson said. “But it felt like nobody was making it. Somebody had to go to Nashville and make that kind of country.”

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