“Chattahoochee” Almost Didn’t Happen
Alan admitted he never thought “Chattahoochee” would be a hit. “I just thought it was a title of the name of a river in Georgia that I grew up around, and nobody, unless they were from that area, would even know what I was singing about,” he said. Turns out, everyone did know what he meant, because the song wasn’t just about a river, it was about growing up, coming of age, and having fun in a small town. Alan later realized, “Everybody had a Chattahoochee or something like that.” And now, it’s impossible to think of Alan Jackson without hearing that “way down yonder on the Chattahoochee” hook.
From Mailroom to Music Stardom
Before he was filling arenas, Alan was working in the mailroom at TNN (The Nashville Network). He said his coworkers knew he wanted to be a singer, and one day, luck struck. “They said, ‘Hey, we need somebody else to sing going into commercial,’” Alan recalled. “They pulled people from the audience, and I just jumped up there.” That moment helped launch his career, all because he said yes to an unexpected opportunity.
Too Many Hits to Sing
With over 60 or 70 singles that have hit the charts, Alan says it’s tough to please every fan during his concerts. “Sometimes I’ll see a fan holding up a sign for a song from 20 years ago, and it makes me feel bad. You just can’t fit them all in.” So what makes the cut? He opened his shows with “Gone Country” and closed with “Chattahoochee” and sometimes throws in “Mercury Blues” for good measure. Fun fact: “Mercury Blues” even appeared on Home Improvement, with Alan performing it on the show!
The Song His Wife Called “Stupid”
Even Alan’s wife, Denise, didn’t see one of his biggest hits coming. “I wrote this song that she told me was stupid and it went on to be a number one hit.” That song? “Where I Come From.” Denise thought the line “cornbread and chicken” was too silly to work. Alan laughed, saying, “She said there’s never been a number one with the word cornbread in it.” Well, there is now.
Happy Birthday, Alan! From humble beginnings to country superstardom, Alan Jackson’s songs have become the soundtrack to small towns everywhere. So here’s to 67 years of hits, memories, and muddy water that still means so much to all of us.
