Alan

Country Singer

Alan Jackson, country music, singing

When it comes to his success, Alan Jackson's disbelief
can't help but ride shotgun to his appreciation. Selling
over 40 million records, earning 30 number one singles (22
of which he either wrote or co-wrote), winning more than
80 major industry awards and gracing pages that bridge The
New York Times to the Newnan, Georgia Times-Herald, is, in
a word, overwhelming. Consequently, both on and off the
public stage, Alan can't help but be a bit confounded by
the idea that he connects with so many by simply being
himself. Luckily, the byproduct of this is an ever-
fortified sincerity, present throughout his Greatest Hits
Volume II collection (Arista Nashville, release date
August 12, 2003).

//

Alan's ability to craft and emote first-hand subject-
material has remained his most definitive traitfrom
1989's Here In The Real World debut to 2002's career
milestone, Drive. In particular, the ability to write and
record intimate, subjective songs and then make them ours
is what keeps him so in tune with fans. Examples permeate
his catalogue: in "Drive (for Daddy Gene), he sings about
his father teaching him to drive on Georgia back roads,
and we remember our first grip of the steering wheel; he
notes the decline of the Mom & Pop stores he grew up with
("Little Man), and we swirl in frustration and nostalgia;
to the chagrin of industry forecasters, he records an
entire album of classic country covers (Under The
Influence) and reminds millions of how much fun it is to
crank the radio and belt out "Pop-A-Top. And perhaps most
emblematic is the career-defining "Where Were You (When
The World Stopped Turning) whose apolitical, raw
sincerity transcended the country community, uniting a
diverse national audience.

//

Greatest Hits Volume II features 18 songs culled from the
albums Everything I Love, High Mileage, Under The
Influence, When Somebody Loves You and Drive. In addition
to blockbusters like "Little Bitty, "I'll Go On Loving
You, "Right On The Money, "The Blues Man, "Where I Come
From and "Where Were You (When The World Stopped
Turning), Alan also selected 8 album cuts to be coupled
with the release. The consequent limited edition bonus
disc contains songs that span his entire career, such
as "When Love Comes Around, "Hole In The Wall, "Tropical
Depression and "The Sounds.

//

Also included in the collection are two new songs that
bookend the Alan Jackson gamut, "Remember When and "It's
5 O'Clock Somewhere. The former is a ballad conveying
Alan's thoughts on marriage: from the innocent wisps of
new romance to anticipation of growing old together. The
latter--featuring pal Jimmy Buffett--is a great example of
Jackson's lighter side, tapping the cold-filtered
inclinations of nine-to-fivers everywhere.

//

In terms of country music credentials, Alan's connection
with fans only makes sense. (Fact is, in so many cases his
notions are one and the same with those of the listener:
men and women, from small town farms to big city
jobsites.) He was born and raised in Newnan, Georgia to a
loving, blue-collar family. His late father was a
mechanic, helping explain Alan's lifelong automotive
passion; his mother ingrained a household of seven with
small-town integrity (you can bet that if a concert falls
on Sunday, he's going to pull out an old gospel song for
her!). In high school, he fell in love with a girl he met
at the Dairy Queen...twenty-four years later their three
daughters have heard the stories, over and over. Alan
Jackson's road to success was paved with jobs in auto
repair, car sales, as a forklift operator; basement
apartments, bills and endless barroom-stage nights. While
he jokes now that certainly his toys' are bigger, he
couldn't forget where he came from if he tried.

//

Fortunately he has no desire to. Simply being himself,
year after year, hit after hit, has proven as rewarding as
it is rare. It's the quality that makes an arena feel like
a family reunion, likewise a punk club feel like a Georgia
honky-tonk (as was the case at New York's CBGB's last
year). It links a stalled debut single by a struggling
unknown ("Blue Blooded Woman, #44, 1989) to a future
Country Music Hall of Famer with a #1 Billboard Top 200
album (2002's Drive sold 423,000 copies its first week).
Most importantly for Alan Jackson, his family and his
fans, sincerity sure does make for great country music.

//

(Bio from http://www.alanjackson.com)

Like my songs? Add me (Alan Jackson) as your friend! Also
visit http://www.alanjackson.com