NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 14, 2013) Country superstar Alan Jackson will headline the 5^th Annual “Stars Go Blue” benefit on Wednesday, March 20 at the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. Jackson’s rare, intimate performance at this historic music venue will be hosted by the oldest and largest national colon cancer patient advocacy organization, the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA). All proceeds from the concert will benefit the CCA’s Blue Note Fund, helping colon cancer patients in need, a program founded by Nashville’s own Grammy-nominated artist/producer Charlie Kelley. The CCA holds the “Stars Go Blue” concert annually in support of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. During March, organizations across the nation will place an emphasis on educating the public about colon cancer prevention and detection.

In 2010, Alan’s wife Denise was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. “It knocked us both down. It was so hard to watch her go through that,” he recalls. “We were dating at 16 and 17, and I pretty much took care of her from that point on. But when it came to this, I felt like there wasn’t a thing I could do.”

“That rocked my world, as I’m sure it does every person who gets a cancer diagnosis,” she explains. “That really brought to my attention the CCA and what the organization does, and more specifically what the Blue Note Fund does for the Nashville area and the rest of the country as well.”

Tickets for “Stars Go Blue” go on sale Fri., Jan. 18 at 10:00am Central and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations, Ryman Box Office, www.ryman.com and by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets are $75, $45 and $35.

Alan recently released a limited number of copies of his book Seasons of Sweetbriar – A Photographic Collection of Home by Alan Jackson. Seasons of Sweetbriar can be purchased through www.alanjackson.com for $25 or $50 for a book autographed by Alan, while supplies last. 100 percent of proceeds will be donated to the CCA’s Blue NoteFund.

Alan Jackson is one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music. He is in the elite company of Paul McCartney and John Lennon among songwriters who’ve written more than 20 songs that they’ve recorded and taken to the top of the charts. Jackson is one of the 10 best-selling artists since the inception of SoundScan, ranking alongside the likes of Eminem and Metallica. His most recent album, Thirty Miles West, topped the country chart when it was released in June – the album features the Grammy®-nominated song, “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore.”

Jackson has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide, topped the country singles charts 35 times, and scored more than 50 Top-10 hits. He has written or co-written 24 of his 35 #1 hit singles. Jackson is a 18-time ACM Award winner, a 16-time CMA Award recipient, and a two-time Grammy-winning artist whose songwriting has earned him the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award and an induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame as a 2011 Songwriter/Artist inductee.

The Blue Note Fund was created by Charlie Kelley, Grammy-nominated country artist/producer, colon cancer survivor and CCA Board member. It gives one-time grants to colon cancer patients struggling to meet their financial obligations, giving hope to families who desperately need it. While other financial assistance programs might be specifically for co-pays or drug fees, the Blue Note Fund allows patients to use the grant money in whatever way helps them most.

The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) is the leading national patient advocacy organization dedicated to increasing colon cancer screening rates and survivorship. The CCA is an active, caring community that provides hope and support to patients and their families while saving lives through screening, access, awareness, advocacy and research.