Alan Jackson is a man of principle. The country music hitmaker has always been a fan of live music, which is why he was disgruntled at the 1994 ACM Awards, when he was asked to play a pre-recorded version of his current hit single, "Gone Country." Jackson balked, and ended up having the humorous last word.
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Not wanting to deceive his fans, he had his full band join him on stage, although his drummer, Bruce Rutherford, played the drums without any sticks in his hands.
Jackson sang "Gone Country" wearing a Hank Williams shirt -- a fitting tribute to the country music icon.
"I love Hank, and a fan ... I get a lot of gifts on the road playing," Jackson explains (via Saving Country Music). "A fan gave me this shirt, and I just saw it in the closet before I came out here this weekend and I grabbed it and said, 'I'm gonna wear it for my song,' 'Gone Country.' Hank's country."
Alan Jackson's Other Awards Show Protest
The "Gone Country" performance isn't the only awards show where Jackson gave an indiscreet jab at some part of the music industry. Five years later, Jackson was invited to sing his entire single, "Pop A Top," during the CMA Awards. George Jones, whose song "Choices" was nominated for Single of the Year, was also invited to perform, although they only gave Jones one minute, requiring him to do a shortened version.
Jackson was appalled by the decision, which is why he started singing Jones' "Choices" halfway through his own performance.
"I thought it was stupid that the CMA wouldn't let George do his whole song," Jackson says (via American Songwriter). "George wasn't some new artist nominated for single of the year. He's a living legend who's been making records for 40 years."
Jones, who passed away in 2013, was touched by the gesture.
"Alan sings traditional country music, and I admire him for that," Jones later said. "What he did meant more to me than I could ever say. I was watching the show, and when he began singing 'Choices'... it moved Nancy and me both to tears. He made a huge statement on my behalf and on behalf of traditional country music and didn't worry about what the consequences might be."
