Photo ID (L-R): UMG Nashville VP Marketing Digital Accounts Annie Ortmeier, Pandora Head of Country Programming Jennifer Danielson, Pandora Senior Manager, Artist Marketing & Industry Relations Alina Thompson, Alan Jackson, UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe, UMG Nashville Chairman/CEO Mike Dungan
Alan Jackson has three decades of accolades and career achievements to his credit, but he’s still adding to them and breaking new ground as he does so.
Friday evening in Nashville – as he wrapped his 2021 tour schedule in front of a sellout crowd of 13,000 at the city’s Bridgestone Arena – Jackson was surprised with a plaque for garnering over 5-billion streams of his music on Pandora. The Pandora Billionaire plaque was presented by UMG Nashville Chairman & CEO Mike Dungan, UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe, UMG Nashville VP Marketing/Digital Accounts Annie Ortmeier, Pandora’s Senior Manager Artist Marketing & Industry Relations Alina Thompson and Pandora’s Head of Country Programming Jen Danielson.
“Five billion streams? I wish Mama could’ve heard that,” the Country Music Hall of Famer noted from the stage. “She wouldn’t know what a stream is,” the ever-humble Jackson quipped with a smile.
In presenting the honor, Thompson noted the achievement was not Jackson’s alone. ““This is all thanks to your amazing fans who’ve chosen to stream your songs over 5-billion times.” Jackson will be added to Pandora’s Country Billionaires station as a result of the new achievement.
Jackson’s Nashville concert – which capped his 2021 touring schedule – was the icon’s first full-scale Music City concert in over four years. “For those who attended, these songs were more than just radio hits – they…mirrored the stories of their lives,” Billboard said of the event. The Tennessean dubbed the concert “a night to remember,” while Music Row noted, “Jackson commanded the Bridgestone stage with charisma and pride.”
“I just want to say ‘Thank you’ to people like y’all who have supported my music,” the entertainer said. “It’s been a crazy ride.”
ABOUT ALAN JACKSON:
A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and an inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Alan Jackson’s membership among music’s all-time greats is part of a long line of career-defining accolades that include three CMA Entertainer of the Year honors, 30 years of membership in the Grand Ole Opry, a Billboard ranking as one of the Top 10 Country Artists of All-Time, induction to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Heritage Award as the most-performed country songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years.
The man from rural Newnan, GA has sold nearly 60-million albums worldwide, ranks as one of the 10 best-selling male vocalists of all-time (rock, pop and country). He has released more than 60 singles – registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard chart-toppers). He has earned more than 150 major music industry awards – including 19 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards.
Jackson – one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music – just released his latest album, Where Have You Gone, in May. The 21-track collection, which topped the country album chart, features 15 songs penned solely by the music icon. He’s also the man behind one of Nashville’s most-popular tourist stops, AJ’s Good Time Bar, a four-story honky-tonk in the heart of downtown featuring daily live music and a rooftop view of Music City.
