Country Music Hall of Fame member Alan Jackson is honoring some of country music’s heroes with the release of his brand-new music video for “Where Have You Gone.”
In the just-released clip, Jackson is seen standing on the historic stage of Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium where he is surrounded by a fiddle, steel guitar, banjo, upright bass, acoustic guitar, and simple drums.
Jackson begins to strum his favorite guitar at the Mother Church of Country Music and in a matter of moments, he’s joined by very real images of country music legends Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Hank Williams and Tammy Wynette.
The concept for the cinematic, goosebumps inducing clip was Jackson’s idea and serves as a way to honor traditional country music.
“This is Alan’s idea…capturing all of this incredible history that’s happened here,” director Peter Zavadil shares. “The goal was to make the Ryman as much of a character in this as Alan is the artist onstage,” he adds. “This is a magical place.”
“The song kind of starts out like it’s a lost love,” Jackson says. “I love what I call ‘real country music,’ and I just see it fading away more than I ever have,” he explains. “I just wanted to say that.”
“Where Have You Gone” was written solely by the country music superstar and find him longing for classic country sounds that are rarely heard on country radio today.
“Soft steel guitar, oh how I’ve missed you / Words from the heart, let me hear you again / Sounds from the soul, fiddle I need you / Sweet country music, where have you gone? / Sweet country music, please come back home,” he sings.
The emotional song is the title track of Jackson’s new album, which was released earlier this year. Where Have You Gone marks Jackson’s first new studio album in six years and features 21 tracks.
Upon its release, Where Have You Gone topped the country album chart and became the Georgia native’s 15th Top 10 on the all-genre Billboard Top 200.
Jackson is currently on tour and will wrap the trek in Nashville on Friday, October 8 with a show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
