Alan Jackson decided long ago that he wouldn’t play by the country music industry’s rules.
That decision nearly came back to haunt him.
And Alan Jackson said two words to George Jones that nearly got him kicked off TV.
Breaking the rules to pay tribute to a legend
The Country Music Association (CMA) Awards is a carefully choreographed event designed for broadcast TV.
Organizers have to find a way to squeeze performances, award presentations, and commercial breaks all into a window given to them by a TV network.
The 1999 CMA Awards show gave the late, great country music legend George Jones one minute to perform part of his song “Choices,” which was nominated for Single of the Year.
Jones is one of the most successful and popular country music artists of all-time, with 14 of his songs going number one and another 143 top-10 hits in his career.
He decided to skip the CMA Awards in 1999 after they slighted him with a one-minute performance.
Country music star Alan Jackson was up for the CMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year in 1999 and was scheduled to perform his hit song “Pop a Top” at the show.
Jackson was disgusted that a legend like Jones was only given a minute to perform, so he decided to pay tribute to one of country music’s all-time greats.
He started to play his song before he switched over to performing Jones’ “Choices” in an unscheduled move.
Jackson sent a message to the CMA Awards for slighting one of the industry’s icons.
Jones was shocked at Jackson’s tribute
Nancy Jones, the widow of George Jones, told Whiskey Riff about the reaction that her late husband had to the 1999 CMA Awards.
Jones refused to watch the awards show until she called him into the room where she was watching it to see his friend, Jackson, perform.
“George, he liked to fell out of the chair. He said, ‘Oh, my God! That boy’s gonna be in so much trouble! They’ll never play his songs again,” Nancy recalled. “They’re going to kick him off the awards show. George was laughing and clapping. He’s like, ‘That’s my boy.’”
Jones called Jackson after his performance to thank him for what he had done.
“He called him on the phone while he was in the dressing room,” Nancy said. “‘Son, son, you shouldn’t have done that, son. You’re going to get in trouble.’ And he said, ‘Man, I appreciate you doing that. But, Alan, I don’t want you to get in trouble.’ He said, ‘I don’t care, I don’t care.’”
The CMA Awards never came after Jackson for his impromptu performance of “Choices.”
He explained that it was the right thing to do given Jones’ legendary position within country music history.
“I was glad to do it. I felt strongly about it, and I know I’ve been on awards shows for 10 years, and they’ve been real good to me,” Jackson explained. “And I’ve had to fight to try to do my whole song.”
“They ask most artists at one time or another to reduce your song, and it’s not unusual. And people say, ‘Well everybody has to do that.’ But George Jones isn’t everybody. That’s why I felt strongly about it, that he deserved a little more than everybody else… It deserved a little more respect,” Jackson added.
Alan Jackson gave George Jones the tribute he deserved at the 1999 CMA Awards.