Country music artist and CMAs nominee Alan Jackson met the love of his life in Denise Jackson when they were both teenagers. The high school sweethearts have been married for more than 40 years, but they’ve experienced several ups and downs throughout their relationship—especially during his health struggles with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which could affect his ability to perform. Still, he has managed to rise above it and put on a show, most notably at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
To find out everything about Alan and Denise’s marriage, keep reading.
When Did Alan and Denise Jackson Get Married?
The spouses met at their Newnan, Georgia, high school and got married in 1979. Since Denise’s maiden name was already Jackson, she didn’t change it after exchanging vows.
After Alan began his music career, Denise took it upon herself to help him achieve further recognition. While working as a flight attendant, she noticed country music legend Glen Campbell at the airport. After explaining to Glen that her husband was an aspiring singer-songwriter, he gave Denise his business manager’s contact information, and Alan got his big break.
Did Alan and Denise Jackson Break Up?
Despite how things may appear to the public, the “Mercury Blues” artist cheated on Denise, and they temporarily separated in 1997. She revealed the details of his infidelity and their separation in her book, It’s All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life. While promoting her book in 2007, Denise spoke to PEOPLE about her and Alan’s brief split.
“The greatest blessings in my life have come out of my worst shattering — his betrayal and our separation were what led to this new, passionate love relationship with God and also led to us being able to have the kind of marriage that we both always wanted but just didn’t know how to have,” Denise explained to the outlet. “Couples and especially women can relate to my story — my fears, my insecurities, my self-esteem issues, marital issues that Alan and I had as a result of marrying so young.”
Denise admitted to having rose-colored lenses when she married Alan, calling their teenage love story a “Cinderella complex.”
“‘I’m going to marry him, and he’s so confident and competent, and he’s going to take care of me forever, and life is going to be one grand fairytale,’” she recalled thinking. “On the outside, I’m sure that’s what most people think about us. But the reality is our marriage isn’t perfect. Even now, every day is a work in progress. I feel like our relationship now is based on love and respect and I think Alan sees me as an equal partner now versus the old relationship, when it was based more on dependency.”
The couple were able to work through this difficult period and stayed together.
How Many Kids Do Alan and Denise Jackson Have?
Just over 10 years after tying the knot, Alan and Denise expanded their family by welcoming their daughters — Mattie, Alexandra and Dani — throughout the 1990s.
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