Alan Jackson… the living legend.
He recently celebrated his 63rd birthday and released his new double album, Where Have You Gone, earlier this year. But on this date back in 2003, he released his heartfelt song “Remember When”.
The second and final single from his compilation album, Greatest Hits Volume II, and a solo write from Alan, it peaked at #1 on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs chart in 2004.
And, it was one of only two new songs on that record, the other one being his duet with Jimmy Buffet, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”.
“Remember When” takes an autobiographical perspective of Alan’s life and marriage to his wife, Denise, as he recounts details of their relationship like their first time together, getting married, having kids, and watching as their kids grew into adults and started their own lives.
Denise and Alan have a bit of a storybook tale in terms of how they met, both growing up in Newnan, Georgia, and eventually meeting at the local Dairy Queen in High School. Though Denise turned him down the first time he asked her out, eventually, they fell in love and got married in 1979.
Ironically, though, Denise didn’t even have to change her last name, because her maiden name was actually Jackson. Small towns, am I right?
Six years after they got married, they moved to Nashville so Alan could chase his dream of becoming a country music star. Denise took a job as a flight attendant, and she just so happened to spot Glen Campbell randomly at the airport one day.
She sounds like a complete badass, too, because she immediately approached Glen and told him about her husband’s aspirations to be a country music singer. He gave her a card to his publishing company, and as luck would have it, was later where Alan signed his very first songwriting deal.
The rest, as they say, is history. Legendary history.
I know I’m partial to good old fashioned country breakup and cheatin’ songs, but this one never fails to hit me right in the feels.
This guy gets it.
“Remember When”