Alan Jackson Gets Artistic Tribute in His Hometown

photo: Tim Davis

Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson is larger than life in the minds of many country music fans, and now his towering likeness adorns a prominent location in his birthplace of Newnan, Georgia, where he was born 60 years ago this Wednesday (10-17).

On the side of the Redneck Gourmet building at 11 North Court Square in downtown Newnan, a 20 x 40-foot mural of Jackson is now displayed, inspired by the cover of his 6X Platinum-selling record A Lot About Livin’ an a Little ‘Bout Love from 1992. It is the handiwork of muralist Tim Davis, who began working on the painting on September 29th as the current artist-in-residence in Newnan. Davis is also known for painting the mural on the side of Legends Corner on Lower Broadway in Nashville that features 13 country stars, including Jackson. Local residents hope that it helps attract tourists to Newnan to see the mural.

Alan Jackson was born in Newnan, Georgia in 1958, and grew up on Gospel and the music of artists such as Gene Watson and John Anderson. At the age of 27, he moved with his wife to Nashville to pursue music as a career. In a classic story of climbing the country music ladder, Jackson’s career started as a mail boy in the offices of TNN. Glen Campbell helped get Jackson’s singing career started, and by 1989 he was signed to Arista Nashville. He went on to sell an astounding 60 million records worldwide, record thirty-five #1 hits, fifty Top 10 hits, earn two Grammy Awards, and 16 Country Music Association Awards including Entertainer of the Year in 1995, 2002, and 2003.

Jackson currently lives just outside of Franklin, TN with his high school sweetheart he met in Newnan, Denise Jackson. Alan Jackson had planned to make an appearance at the mural once it was complete, but after the recent death of Jackson’s son-in-law Ben Selecman, no appearance date has been able to be confirmed.

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