First Chapter: From ‘Yes’ to ‘I Do’
Alan and Denise’s love story started way back when they were teenagers in Newnan High School in Georgia. But unlike most, theirs started with a downright rejection. According to Alan Jackson, the first time he asked Denise for a date, she turned him down. After a couple of years, he tried again and luckily finally got a yes. He got her riding in his white 1995 Thunderbird convertible for their first date and the many dates that followed that.
And on December 15, 1979, that ‘yes’ to a first date finally turned into ‘I do’ till death do they part.
Six years later, the couple made their big move to Nashville in pursuit of Alan’s dream of building a career in country music. When they first came into the city, the couple lived in a crowded basement apartment. During the day, Alan would work in a mailroom, and then at night, he would be out playing his music. On the other hand, Denise worked as a flight attendant.
One fateful day, Denise spotted singer-songwriter Glen Campbell in the airport. She immediately approached him and told him about her husband, who was an aspiring country music artist. Campbell gave her his business card, and the next thing the couple knew, Alan was signing his first record deal. In 1990, Alan released his debut album ‘Here in the Real World,’ which turned out to be a great success, selling over two million copies! But that wasn’t the only good news as they also welcomed their first daughter Mattie Denise in the same year. And then three years later, another baby girl – Alexandra Jane “Ali” – arrived. Then in 1997, the couple again welcomed another daughter named Dani Grace.