Alan Jackson performed his final concert on June 27th. The 67-year-old country music star is retiring from touring as he battles a neurological disease.
The country star answers “What time is it?” Farewell to Alan Jackson
Luke Bryan, Laney Wilson, Luke Combs and more kicked off “Last Call: The Finale” with a playful homage to one of this country’s iconic hits.
NASHVILLE – At his farewell concert, Alan Jackson gave a series of heartfelt speeches.
The “Chattahoochee” singer and country music legend wrapped up his touring career with “Alan Jackson: Last Call – The Finale” on June 27 at Nissan Stadium. After a tribute performance by artists from the country, they performed in front of a packed audience.
Before Jackson’s set, an all-star lineup performed including Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Riley Greene, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, and Laney Wilson, who shared stories about Jackson’s musical influences.
After a 40-minute delay due to bad weather, Mr. Jackson took the stage.
“Thank you so much everyone. I’m Alan Jackson and it’s nice to meet you all,” he said as fans cheered.
“I’m really overwhelmed by all the wonderful things people have said. It almost brings me to tears,” he said.
“Honestly, I really appreciate everyone who was here tonight and all the artists who took the time to be here tonight and sing,” Jackson added, joking that he wished he had the same singing talent as the guest stars.
“We’re not going to dwell on this whole sad ‘last show’ thing,” he said, adding that before that it felt like a bit of a funeral, watching the stars sing their songs in heaven.
“I put a line in one of my songs that says, ‘I’m just a singer who sings simple songs,’ and that’s just who I am,” Jackson said, explaining that he has dedicated his career to writing songs about “life, love, and drinking.”
“And it’s been a really crazy life, a crazy career, and, as my mom would say, very blessed.”
Jackson said he just wanted fans to enjoy the night. “Take two steps up and down the aisle, do whatever you want, sit back, relax, have a good time, have a drink,” he said. “I’ll play something you like.”
Early in his set, he repeated hits such as “Livin’ on Love,” “Summertime Blues,” “Midnight in Montgomery” and “Who’s Cheatin’ Who,” before addressing the audience again.
“If anyone lived the American dream, it was me,” he said, sitting in his chair.
“I’d like to thank all the fans around the world who have listened to my music over the years. … I’ve played thousands of shows here and you’ve always been so kind and so respectful.”
Jackson said he moved to Nashville from Georgia about 40 years ago. He was planning to give up and return home after five years waiting to get a record deal.
“Five years later, I finally got a record deal…I recorded my first album. I was so excited that I played my first single on the radio…and then it died a tragic death,” he said.
“Luckily, the record label decided to release this other song…and I’ve been working ever since.”
That “other song” was his breakthrough 1990 hit “Here in the Real World,” which he then performed.
Why is Alan Jackson retiring?
The 67-year-old Grammy Award-winning country artist announced his retirement from touring in May 2025 at the final stop of his “Last Call: One More for the Road” tour at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum.
Since 2011, Jackson has been battling Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, an inherited neurological disease that damages peripheral nerves and affects movement, balance and sensation.
The disease runs in Jackson’s family, and it affects her ability to move and maintain balance on stage. Although generally not fatal, it progresses slowly and causes muscle weakness and loss of sensation in the extremities.
“I felt like I had to end it all where it all started, in Nashville, Tennessee,” Jackson said in Milwaukee. “I have to do one last job there.”
“It’s been a long and fun journey. It started 40 years ago in September of this year, when my wife and I drove to Nashville in an old U-Haul trailer to pursue this dream,” Jackson said. “It’s been a crazy journey… Thank you so much to everyone who supported my music and attended my shows.”
For every ticket sold for Ms. Jackson’s farewell concert, $1 will be donated to the CMT Research Foundation, an organization that funds research to find a cure for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
The concert will also be broadcast as a prime-time television special and streamed on Peacock later this year.
