Alan Jackson was honored in major ways during the 17th ACM Honors ceremony. Jackson, a living country icon without equal, has lived up to his legend time and again over the decades of his storied career. Eric Church acknowledged and honored Jackson's legacy with a soulful rendition of Jackson's "Chasin' That Neon Rainbow." The performance actually made Jackson tear up -- as it did many people in the audience!
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"Thank you, Eric. That was a very cool rendition of ol' 'Neon Rainbow.' Got a little new life to her, that was wonderful, thank you," Jackson said as he accepted his Poet of the Year award after Church's performance. "I've always put songwriting at the top of my list when it comes to making music and hearing that song tonight, that made me tear up back there... it was such a soulful rendition but it brought back a lot of memories. Jim McBride and I wrote that song almost 40 years ago down on Music Row."
Jackson is an old-school creative who believes in the grueling but rewarding struggles and triumphs that come with creation. It's a moment worthy of one of country's best and brightest.
Eric Church Makes Alan Jackson Cry Through A Soulful Rendition Of Jackson's Song
Meanwhile, the audience reception, while warm overall, was certainly more critical than I expected! "You have to realize Noone can perform it like Alan Jackson, A True Legend. I admire Eric for putting his own personal touch on it because he has his own style," one YouTube user says. Which is only slightly backhanded if you're looking for it. This next one, though? Pure vitriol!
"That sounds like pure crap. They should have had Cody Johnson do it, he would have done Alan justice," a dissatisfied user stated. Church can tweak one of Jackson's songs without it being a form of "disrespect." I swear, the internet's binary "one way or the other" thinking weirds me out.
"This sucked. To go & ruin the song, the rhythm was one of the best parts of it. Now I know why I hear people that go to his shows say afterwards they're no longer a fan after seeing him in concert." Okay, well. At least everyone in the audience at the show liked it!
