Alan Jackson sings with daughter, celebrates 5 billion streams at Nashville concert
Friday was a night to remember for Alan Jackson as the country star headlined Nashville's Bridgestone Arena — his first full concert in Music City in four years.
Along with "It's Five O' Clock Somewhere," “Chattahoochee” and many more of his classics, Jackson played several cuts from his new album "Where Have You Gone."
That included "You'll Always Be My Baby (Written for Daughters Weddings)," which he sang with one of his three daughters, Ali.
"Man, she's sounding good up here, y'all," Jackson said mid-song, as family photos played on the video screens behind them.
Earlier in the show, Jackson was also declared to be a "billionaire" — in streams — as representatives of Pandora and his label, UMG Nashville, presented him with a plaque commemorating more than 5 billion plays on the platform.
"Five billion streams," Jackson remarked from the stage. "I wish mama could have heard that. She wouldn't have known what I was talking about.
Friday's show was Jackson's first concert since revealing in September that he was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease — a group of disorders that cause nerve damage — which has affected his ability to move and keep balance on stage. In an interview with the "TODAY" show, he said he has no plans to retire from performing.
"I've always admired some of my heroes...they never retire, and they just play as much as they can and want to, and I would like to do that if my health will let me do that."
Jackson closed Friday's concert (in a second encore) with the title track of "Where Have You Gone," a plea for the return of "words from the heart" and "soft steel guitar" to country music.
"Sweet country music where have you gone," he sang. "...The songs from your memory I cling to today/ I won't let them leave me, I won't let them fade."
Read the full story in The Tennesseean.
Alan Jackson Nashville concert setlist
“Gone Country”
“Summertime Blues”
“Livin’ On Love”
“I Don’t Even Know Your Name”
“Good Time”
“Midnight in Montgomery”
“The Blues Man”
“Who’s Cheatin’ Who”
“Here In the Real World”
“Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow”
“Pop-a-Top”
“You’ll Always Be My Baby”
“It Must Be Love”
“The Older I Get”
“Seven Bridges Road”
“Little Bitty”
“Country Boy”
“Drive”
“Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)”
“Don’t Rock the Jukebox”
“Remember When”
“It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”
“Chattahoochee”
“Where I Come From”
Encore #1: “Mercury Blues”
Encore #2: “Where Have You Gone”