Alan Jackson Had One Person in Mind During Emotional ACM Speech [Video]

With his retirement from live performances just days away, country music star Alan Jackson took the stage at the 60th ACM Awards last night to accept a special honor. Long-time event host Reba McEntire presented the talented performer with a Lifetime Achievement Award, commemorating his decades of success in the country music industry.

When it came time to give his acceptance speech, Jackson shared warm thanks to all of his fans and those who have supported him throughout his career, but one name in particular clearly came to mind: his wife, Denise Jackson. Alan shared a truly heartfelt message of gratitude for the woman who has stood by him for decades.

The Singer Called Denise His “Best Friend”

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Alan began his tribute to Denise by calling her his “best friend,” a fitting title considering their long life together. As the singer explained, the couple have been together since they were teens and have raised three children together. He described his wife as the person who “…has helped me keep my feet on the ground all these years, and I wouldn’t be here without her.”

Denise has repeatedly been at the top of Alan’s thank-you list over the years, and fans have frequently spotted her by her husband’s side at award shows. For example, at the 2002 CMAs, Denise and all three of their daughters joined Alan for family photos with the truly impressive numbers of awards he won that year — enough for each member of the family to hold.

Alan Plans to Spend More Time With Family in Retirement

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On May 17, 2025, Alan will play his last concert, bringing his farewell tour and a 30-year career to a close. As PennLive shared, one of the major motivating factors behind his choice to retire was wanting to spend more time with loved ones. “[I] have had a wonderful career, and getting into my twilight years, and all my daughters are grown, and I got one grandchild and one on the way,” Jackson explained. “Enjoy spending more time at home, and don’t want to be away like I had to be in my younger days…”

Sadly, Alan isn’t just retiring to watch his grandchildren grow up; the singer has also been open about the chronic disease he suffers from, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. After explaining how the disease impacts him physically, the singer said: “So, it makes me more uncomfortable on stage, and I just have a hard time, and I just want to think about maybe calling it quits before I’m unable to do the job like I want to.” This year’s farewell tour has been a memorable way for the singer to end his career on his own terms.