Country singer-songwriter Alan Jackson celebrates his 42nd wedding anniversary with his wife, Denise Jackson today! On this day, forty-two years ago the high school sweethearts tied the knot at the Newnan Baptist Church in their hometown of Newnan, Georgia.
After six years of marriage, the Jacksons picked up their belongings and relocated to Nashville, Tennessee. The big move was in support of Alan following his dreams of becoming a country music star. While working as a flight attendant, Denise Jackson ended up introducing Alan to a guy country fans have maybe heard of…Glen Campbell. The country icon ultimately helped Alan land his first major recording contract with Arista Records.
Now, 42 years later, Alan and Denise are happier than ever. The two also share three daughters together: Mattie, Ali, and Dani.
Alan Jackson and Denise Renew Their Vows
In an interview with People magazine, Alan Jackson said, “We were just kids when we started out. We didn’t even have the chance to fall in love as adults and to learn who we are before making a commitment. I think we lost some of that original feeling. I did anyway.”
Years ago, Alan and Denise hit a rough patch. But true love always prevails. The two worked through the separation and ended up renewing their vows in 1998 on their anniversary.
“We learned that if a relationship’s going to be good, you have to make it a priority,” said Denise Jackson. “Even if it’s getting up 30 minutes before the children do in the morning. Having our coffee, and being together uninterrupted. Or sitting on the porch in the afternoon for 10 minutes to catch up on our day.”
The former flight attendant wrote about their separation in her book, It’s All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life, in 2007. In the autobiography, Denise wrote about a brief affair Alan had as well as how the couple bounced back.
“At first he was a little nervous [about the book],” Denise told Newsweek. “It’s not enjoyable to talk about your mistakes and regrets. On the other hand, he knew why I wanted to write the book and that it was important for me to admit that he had been unfaithful because one of the main messages of the book is about forgiveness and how healing can come when we work through problems and infidelities. Probably half the marriages out there experience what we do, but there’s only a very, very small percentage that really survives.”
As for Alan, he remains committed to making sure their marriage is in a good and healthy place.
“I don’t care if it’s somebody that seems compatible or your soul mate,” Jackson tells The Boot. “You have to work at it all the time. I always find that most times you treat strangers nicer than you do somebody that’s close to you, and if you learn to do that, that makes a big difference.”
