The 17th annual ACM Honors were hosted in August in Nashville and during the ceremony, Eric Church honored Alan Jackson with a rendition of his song “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.” The ACM Honors air tonight, September 24, on Merit Street Media.
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Jackson was awarded the ACM Poet’s Award for his songwriting, which has earned him 26 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. Church introduced his performance by saying, “Alan Jackson is an institution and an American treasure. It’s my honor to be here and play for him.”
“Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow” is one of Alan Jackson’s hits from 1990, featured as the fourth single from Jackson’s first album Here In the Real World. It hit No. 2 on the Country Singles chart and has become a staple of Jackson’s discography.
Eric Church Introduces Alan Jackson Tribute With Story of Another Country Legend
Before he launched into his rendition of “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” Eric Church described a moment with Hank Williams Jr. that translated into his performance that night.
“I was touring with Hank [Williams] Jr., and every night he would play ‘Family Tradition,’” Church began. He shared that while on the tour, he tried to put his own touch on the song, but Hank Jr. put a stop to that. “Hank tolerated me for about 30 seconds and he pulled his glasses down and said, ‘Brother, don’t paint on the Mona Lisa,’” Church continued, before adding, “So tonight I’m going to try to paint around the Mona Lisa, OK?”
The performance was full of soul and heart, with Church imparting his own experiences in the music industry in his rendition. He earned a standing ovation from the crowd, and praise from Alan Jackson. The ACM Honors also highlighted Trisha Yearwood, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, and Luke Bryan, along with industry executives, songwriters, and producers. Also among the honorees were several Nashville music venues and studio musicians.
Other performers included Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Jackson Dean, Kameron Marlowe, Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Terri Clark, and Keith Urban, according to a report from Billboard.
Featured Image by Paul A. Hebert/Shutterstock
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