Legendary country music singer Alan Jackson is officially saying goodbye to touring, bidding one last farewell with a grand final concert in the city where his musical journey began decades ago. The 66-year-old country icon has recently announced his final full-length concert, Last Call: One More for the Road – The Finale, set to take place on June 27, 2026, at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.

As country fans prepare to bid a grand goodbye to one of the genre’s most loved icons, the attention has turned to the singer’s wife, Denise Jackson, the woman who has withstood all the highs and lows of his life through nearly five decades of heartbreaks, healing, and triumphs.

Here’s a closer look at Alan and Denise Jackson’s enduring marriage, a love story tested by fame, infidelity, health struggles, and even a near-divorce moment that almost ended their relationship.

Inside Alan Jackson and Denise Jackson’s love story, one that only grew stronger through challenges through faith and forgiveness

Alan and Denise Jackson’s love story dates back nearly five decades, long before anyone even knew the singer’s name. They are among the rare few couples whose bond has only grown stronger since their days as high school sweethearts. Alan and Denise met as teenagers in 1976 while attending Newman High School in Georgia. Denise was a top student in her school and a cheerleader, as well as a tennis player.

The two were head over heels in love in the three years that they dated in high school. On December 15, 1979, Alan and Denise tied the knot, and soon after, they moved to Nashville to pursue Alan’s dream of becoming a country artist, and Denise played a vital role in building the singer’s career.

In case you didn’t know, it was actually Denise who helped launch Alan Jackson’s career in country music. While working as a flight attendant, she came across legendary country singer Glenn Campbell and told him about her husband’s music. Campbell later connected Alan to his publishing company, ultimately landing him his first break in the industry.

From growing a family together to almost ending the marriage

Over the years, Denise and Alan grew their family, welcoming their eldest daughter, Mattie, in June 1990. Their second child, a daughter named Alexandra, aka ‘Ali’, was born in August 1993, followed by their youngest, Dani Grace, in August 1997. However, the marriage hasn’t been without struggle.

After nearly 18 years of marriage and welcoming all three of their daughters, the couple reached a point when their relationship felt like falling apart. Behind their picture-perfect moments, Alan’s fame had changed the marriage. Shortly after Dani’s birth, Denise and Alan’s marriage almost ended when he stopped putting in an effort. Speaking about that time, the former flight attendant recalled that phase to the Christian Broadcasting Network:

“I think Alan got to a point after 18 years where he thought, ‘We both deserve so much more than this, and we haven’t been able to fix it yet, and I don’t think it’s fixable’. So that was really the turning point where he said, ‘Enough is enough. I’m leaving’.”

Denise Jackson came to know about Alan’s infidelity after making amends

Shortly after Christmas 1997, Denise and Alan separated for four months, which the former admits was one of the most difficult phases of her life. During their time apart, she turned to faith and focused on personal healing. Four months later, when Alan visited their children and eventually asked Denise out, the couple decided to give their marriage a try.

It was after deciding to try again that Denise learnt about Alan’s infidelity, once again putting her on the challenging path of forgiveness. She later addressed the same in her 2007 memoir, It’s All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life. During a TV appearance, Denise spoke about forgiveness:

“There’s no one-size-fits-all kind of answer for forgiveness. For each of us, the struggle will be individual. But what I found in the long run was that forgiveness was the key to real freedom in my life.”

Today, Denise and Alan are stronger than ever and are proud grandparents to two grandsons, Alexandra’s son, Jackson Alvie Bradshaw, and Mattie’s son, Wesley Alan Smith.

A glimpse into Alan and Denise Jackson’s health scares that only brought them closer

After more than 45 years of togetherness, Denise and Alan are more than a married couple. They are each other’s best friends, soulmates, and biggest rocks. The pair have endured significant health battles over the years, including Denise’s cancer battle. For the unversed, Denise was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2010. After months of extensive treatment, she was fortunately declared cancer-free.

Speaking about navigating the cancer battle, Alan described that period as one of the most emotional of their lives, saying it reminded him what the term ‘for better or worse’ truly meant. Earlier this year, while accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 ACM Awards, Alan addressed Denise as his ‘best friend’ and said:

“I do want to especially thank one person who’s been my best friend since I was 17 years old. That’s my wife, Denise, out there… I’m probably not always the easiest person to love, but she’s been there and helped me through hard times… we’ve survived a lot. I just want to thank her, because she’s held me up all these years and she’s my best friend.”

Jackson launched his Last Call tour in 2022 and wrapped it up in May 2025, teasing that one final Nashville show would close the chapter.

The real reason Alan Jackson is bidding goodbye to touring

Alan Jackson’s decision to retire from touring comes after years of battling health challenges. The country legend has been living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), a hereditary degenerative nerve disorder that impacts mobility and balance. Jackson first opened up about his diagnosis in 2021, revealing that he had already been managing the condition for more than a decade. Sharing the cause behind his condition, Alan said:

“I don’t want fans to think I’m drunk on stage. I have this neuropathy, a neurological disease I inherited from my daddy… It’s not deadly, but it will eventually disable me.” 

Alan’s decision has a more personal reason tied to his family and the legacy he intends to leave. Speaking to PEOPLE, he shared that touring took him farther than he ever dreamed, but he now wants to end his journey near home, surrounded by loved ones. A portion of ticket sales will benefit the CMT Research Foundation.

Anyone looking to attend Alan Jackson’s final concert can register for pre-sales beginning on October 8, 2024, at 11 a.m. ET at the official website for the show. 

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