On June 27, 2026, Alan Jackson played his final full-length concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Sadly, the legendary country singer is retiring due to his ongoing battle with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), which affects his balance. The sold-out concert event featured special guests George Strait, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert. The event, dubbed Alan Jackson Last Call: One More for the Road, was filmed live and will air on NBC later this year.
Two days before the farewell concert, Jackson released a new single. It’s a cover of the 1976 hit “Still The One” by Orleans. The song was covered as a tribute to his wife. The couple is celebrating 50 years together, and it’s the song that his wife practiced along to as a high school cheerleader. The heartfelt tribute was appropriately released, as the couple will now have more time dedicated to each other following Jackson’s retirement.
Orleans’ original version was a No. 5 hit in 1976. The song concept came to guitarist John Hall’s wife after a conversation with a friend about love songs. Orleans bassist Lance Hoppen explained the song’s origin in an interview with News Times in 2011: “A friend of Johanna Hall’s (John Hall’s former wife and writing partner) had asked her why somebody couldn’t write a song about staying together, as opposed to breaking up. Johanna penned the lyrics on an envelope and handed it to John, who created the music in about 15 minutes. Our then-producer, Chuck Plotkin, guided us in the studio to create the hit version recording of this song.”
“We’re Still Having Fun and You’re Still the One”
Though John and Johanna eventually divorced, Alan Jackson’s marriage has lasted 50 years. The song’s lyrics describe the kind of love that remains between the two. The song’s bridge captures their growth together. “Changing, our love is going gold / Even though we grow old, it grows new.” It’s exceptionally fitting as an anniversary song, and a beautiful cover to close Jackson’s career.
Though his touring life is over following his retirement, it’s unclear if we can expect further releases from Alan Jackson. His decorated career has seen 66 songs placed on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Out of those 66 songs, 35 have peaked at No. 1, which is an amazing feat. It places Jackson among the greatest country stars of all time.
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