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Cover Story SS&hM E Yet/oiJWm IwemorisS A an Jackson's new CD brings him full-circle to his roots in church. As a child growing up in Newnan, Ga. (pop. 16,242), Alan Jackson sat through Sunday school class like most young boys, doodling on pieces of paper and biding his time until it was over, terrified of being called on to lead a prayer or read from the Bible. Yet when the church worship service got underway, the singing and the sound of the big pipe organ filled the local First Baptist Church, and young Jackson was captivated. “It was just so powerful," says Jackson, 47. "It stuck with me. Those old songs are definitely part of what I am spiritually and musically.” Just how much so is evident in his new gospel album, Precious Memories , a collec tion of 15 classic hymns that Jackson I and his wife. Denise, who sang Alan Jackson honors his mother with gospel songs mam _ _ ymmmmman "i 3 i TTI.. — - .... K . wRHH —*— - B ; 1 LaagdCHjv BBHp | I i 1 together in a church choir in Georgia, culled from 30 of their favorites in a Baptist hymnal. The , v album has Ixcn phenomenal success. It’s the only gospel recording ever to debut at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. Jackson also is the first country performer to debut an album of all spiritual material at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums and Top Christian & Gospel Albums charts. WU, * |f||l Mom Ruth inspired the project. "I always wanted to do an album like this anyway, but ever since I started recording, my mama’s been saying. Now, I know you can make a gospel album for me!”' recalls the country superstar. “I’d put it off—just lazy, you know—but she kept mentioning it and mentioning it, and 1 felt guilty.” The breakthrough came last year. Jackson's moth er-in-law also is a fan of old-time gospel music, and when Denise’s father died, Jackson sang “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” at his funeral. After that, “Everybody started goin’ on about it and beating me up even more about doing the album. So I thought I’d just go ahead and do it for my mom and give it to her for Christmas.” Throughout the CD, Jackson delivers the old traditional hymns in the natural, heartfelt manner he remembered from church as a child, though attempts to incorporate the beloved sound of the old church pipe organ proved logistically insurmountable. He arn! prtxlucer Keith Stegall created a stripped-down, no-frills album with mostly guitar and piano, and Jackson shot the album photos himself. For the pic- by A L ANN A N A SHy f f/ nyv /Y/i’ /fc ///<//// Despite its status as a commercial blockbuster. Precious .Memories began as a project Jackson had no intention of selling. He recorded the songs—tried and true church-pew chestnuts like “In the Garden," Softly and Ten derly,” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” “The Old Rugged Cross” and "Blessed Assurance”—as a Christmas present for his mother, Ruth. Page 6 •American Profile Photo: Courtesy of Alan JocksQn jute: 'VW-SH