Alan Jackson's Daughter Pens Script for His New Video

Music News/People.com
Alan Jackson's Daughter Pens Script for His New Video

By Eileen Finan

Monday February 22, 2010 04:40 PM EST


Mattie Jackson grew up watching her country star dad, Alan Jackson, from the wings – but now the 19-year-old is taking an active role in her dad's career.

When the country singer asked for input on a video for his new song, "It's Just That Way," the teen penned a whimsical script showing a topsy-turvy world where the moon rises in the morning and boats float down the street. "I figured my dad would be like, 'Well that's great but we'll do something else,' " says Mattie.

Instead, Jackson's music label loved the idea and signed her up as the scriptwriter. "It's cool that I actually kind of get to contribute a little bit," the modest teen tells PEOPLE.

"I'm very proud of her," says her dad. "But I always have been no matter what she does."

Mattie, a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, hopes to be a professional writer. She says she didn't always appreciate what her dad did, but now the admiration goes both ways.

"Moving away from home I've realized how great of an entertainer he actually is," she says. "Now when I turn on my iPod, I'll listen to all his songs and it's a lot more meaningful to me because I can understand them."

But that's not to say that dad isn't still capable of cringe-worthy moments. "One time he broke out OutKast's song 'Hey Ya' at one of his Nashville concerts," says Mattie, "and I thought that my younger sister was going to die!"