NASHVILLE, Tenn., September 9, 2014 – Alan Jackson’s Artist-in-Residence concerts at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum sold-out in less than an hour of yesterday’s on sale setting a record for the fastest sell-out for any event held in the CMA Theater. The special shows are set for October 8 and October 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the museum’s new 800-seat CMA Theater. Jackson’s residency coincides with the new exhibition Alan Jackson: 25 Years of Keepin’ It Country, running through March 2015, making him the first simultaneous artist-in-residence and major museum exhibit subject.
“You know, I used to think if you could have a hit or two and your career lasts three or four years, you’re very lucky. I never thought I’d have a career that lasts 25 years and is still goin’ – I didn’t imagine all this could happen,” says Jackson, who was on-hand for a VIP unveiling of the new exhibit a couple of weeks ago. “I hope my fans are enjoying the exhibit, and I hope they’ll enjoy these two special shows we’re goin’ to do for ’em.”
Established in 2003, the museum’s residency program annually honors a musical master who can be credited with contributing a large and significant body of work to the canon of American popular music. Honorees are given a blank canvas and are encouraged to lend their own creative brushstrokes to an up-close-and-personal musical experience. Previous Artist-in-Residence honorees include Cowboy Jack Clement, Earl Scruggs, Tom T. Hall, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Connie Smith, Kenny Rogers and Ricky Skaggs.
Past residencies have featured special themes, guests, or spanned an artist’s repertoire. Jackson will have the opportunity to personally structure his two shows, guaranteeing ticket purchasers a pair of truly unique evenings of music. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans of the entertainer who has played everywhere from bars and honky-tonks to stadiums and arenas over the course of 25 years in the music business.
In his 25-year career, Jackson has been steadfast in his love for traditional music while enjoying major chart success. Since signing his record deal in June 1989, he has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide and ranks as one of the 10 best-selling country artists of all-time. He has released more than 60 singles—registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard #1s). He has earned more than 150 music industry awards—including 18 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum’s mission is the preservation of the history of country and related vernacular music rooted in southern culture. With the same educational mission, the foundation also operates CMF Records, the museum’s Frist Library and Archive, CMF Press, Historic RCA Studio B and Hatch Show Print®.
