Alan Jackson and Daughter Ali Surprise Crowd with Moving Duet in Nashville
Alan Jackson and his daughter treated the crowd at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to a surprise father-daughter performance of "You'll Always Be My Baby" Friday night.
Ali Jackson Bradshaw, 28, the country legend's middle daughter, joined him on stage for a duet of the emotional ballad, which he wrote it for all three of his girls for their wedding days.
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"You'll Always Be My Baby" is from Jackson's Where Have You Gone album, released last May. Oldest daughter Maddie used it for her father-daughter dance in 2018 and Ali danced to it with her dad in 2020. Youngest daughter Dani is not yet married.
Speaking to the audience, Jackson recalled the moment he told his girls that he was only going to write one song, so they'd all have to use it. The crowd couldn't help but laugh.
"Man, she's sounding good up here, y'all," Jackson said mid-song, as family photos rolled across the screens behind them, per The Tennessean.
Friday marked Jackson's first concert since he revealed that he was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in September. The degenerative nerve condition has affected his ability to move and keep balance on stage, though in an interview with Today, he said he has no plans to retire from performing.
"I've always admired some of my heroes... they never retire, and they just play as much as they can and want to, and I would like to do that if my health will let me do that," he said.
"I've had a wonderful, beautiful life, and I've been so blessed," Jackson continued. I can't even imagine what other people go through. This is not a condition that I would be complaining about typically, but it is going to affect me performance-wise on stage, and I don't know how much I'll continue to tour."
