2025

“THE NIGHT HIS MOTHER HEARD A SONG… AND REALIZED HER BOY WAS NO LONGER A BOY.” Alan Jackson wrote “How Great Thou Art” on a quiet afternoon in a small cabin, the kind of day when the light feels softer and time moves slower. When he brought the demo home for his mother to hear, she sat perfectly still, her hands gently resting in her lap. When the final line faded, she turned away for a moment — long enough to wipe her eyes. Alan thought he had done something wrong. But she shook her head and whispered, “You’ve grown up, Alan. I can’t keep all of you for myself anymore.” It was the first time she understood that his music would take him far — farther than her arms could reach.

“THE NIGHT HIS MOTHER HEARD A SONG… AND REALIZED HER BOY WAS NO LONGER A...