Alan Jackson brought his touring career to a fitting end in Nashville on Saturday night (June 27), with a dazzling four-hour concert experience in Nissan Stadium.
The evening featured a lengthy rundown of tribute performances from major stars, plus a satisfying, set-length performance from the legend himself.
Some of the highlights of the evening were the tributes. Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, George Strait and many others were among those who took the stage to perform, and they also shared stories about their personal connections to Jackson as fans and fellow artists.
But undeniably, the biggest moments of the night came from Jackson’s final turn onstage before his retirement. His performance was bittersweet, with moments where he appeared to be soaking it all in one last time, but also delivered the same rockin’ country music party fans have known and loved him for for decades.
Here are some of the biggest highlights and most unforgettable moments from Jackson’s Last Call: One More for the Road — Finale show in Nashville.
No. 1. Fans Briefly Had to Evacuate Nissan Stadium Due to Inclement Weather
Fans came to Jackson’s final show expecting excitement, but not this kind. The stadium experienced a weather emergency evacuation a little before 8:30PM, as lightning storms moved through the area.
Concertgoers were asked to evacuate their seats in the stadium and head to the concourses and indoor areas. The stadium announced that the weather had cleared a few minutes before 9PM, and said that Jackson would take the stage at 9:25.
No. 2: Carrie Underwood Shares a Full-Circle Alan Jackson Memory
During her time onstage, Carrie Underwood told the crowd that her first concert was an Alan Jackson show. She pegged the year as 1994, which would have made Underwood about 11 years old at the time.
“I had the worst seats in the whole place, by the way,” she said, “and it was still one of the greatest concert experiences that I have ever experienced.”
“And I bet tonight will eclipse that somehow,” Underwood continued. “It is an honor to be here, honoring the legendary Alan Jackson.”
Underwood sang “Everything I Love,” which was a hit single for Jackson in 1997.
No. 3: Eric Church Honors Alan Jackson’s Legacy With Just a Song + Guitar
Most of the artists onstage during Jackson’s final show performed with the legend’s backing band, but Eric Church decided to strip it back to just him and his guitar.
He sang “Someday,” which Jackson co-wrote with Jim McBride and released in the early ’90s.
“When I was given the opportunity to do this, I decided to bring it to just you and me, which is how Alan writes his songs. So it’s just gonna be me and the guitar here,” Church explained to the crowd.
Elsewhere during his time onstage, the singer highlighted Jackson’s legacy of being a life-long defender of country music.
“I am a massive fan of Alan Jackson not only as a singer and as a songwriter, but as a country music artist, as a family man, as someone who stood up for country music in big moments his entire career,” Church reflected.
No. 4: Taylor Swift Checks In With a Heartfelt Video
Between the in-person tributes to Jackson, a series of video messages played on screens on the stage — including one from Taylor Swift. She expressed gratitude to Jackson for “decades of unbelievable songwriting and performances”
“I think my favorite song of yours is ‘Drive’ because in that song you really paint such a picture and you let us into the details of your life, and I know that that was an example that was so good for me to see at a young age, an artist really just letting fans into the details of his life,” Swift continued.
Cheers — and some pretty loud booing — erupted from the crowd when Swift’s face popped up on the screen.
No. 5: Alan Jackson Sends His Family a Special Message From the Stage
Jackson’s entire family was present at Nissan Stadium for the show, and the singer took a moment to celebrate them during his set.
Read More: Watch Alan Jackson Celebrate His Family During His Final Nashville Show
He reflected on all that he and his wife Denise have been through over their nearly five decades of marriage, saying, “We’ve survived, and we’re happier than ever, thank goodness.”
The singer also spoke about his growing crew of grandchildren, pointing out that the family is expecting grandchild No. 5 any day now.
No. 6: A Bittersweet Final Performance of “Remember When”
Alan Jackson’s ballad about love that lasts a lifetime — and the privilege of growing old together — hit even harder during his final show.
Even the toughest fan could be forgiven for tearing up watching Jackson sing “Remember When” for the very last time of his touring career.
No. 7: Alan Jackson Reminds the Crowd, “I’m Not Dead!”
When he took the stage, Jackson admitted that it had been pretty emotional to watch all the other artists who came out to sing tributes to him. He said the experience of performing his star-studded final show was “overwhelming,” but assured the crowd that he’d be keeping the tears to a minimum.
“We’re not gonna dwell on all this sad ‘last show’ stuff,” Jackson joked. “I’m not dead!”
No. 8: Legends Only: Alan Jackson + George Strait Share the Stage
Alan Jackson reunited with an old friend and a fellow country music legend when he invited George Strait to the stage. The pair performed “Designated DRinker” and “Murder on Music Row,” both songs they’ve recorded together over the years.
Jackson and Strait have appeared on stages together many times over their long, storied country music careers. They met for the first time in the late ’80s.
No. 9: Alan Jackson’s Final Song, + An Unforgettable Walkoff
Jackson’s final song at the end of the night — and part of a two-song encore — was “Where I Come From.” A fireworks display erupted from the stage set behind him as he looked around, soaked it all in, and then walked offstage one final time.
It was a spectacular conclusion to a legendary country music career.
Billed as Last Call: One More For the Road — The Finale, Jackson’s final show was all-star effort that featured appearances like George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert and many others.
Read More: Alan Jackson’s All-Star Finale Show in Nashville: Everything We Know
It served as the finale to his last-ever concert tour, and the end to his touring career.
See Alan Jackson Pictures, Through the Years
Alan Jackson has always been a handsome man and we have the pictures to prove it. See nearly 25 pictures of the singe from the start of his career to today.
