Alan Jackson brings Hope to his hometown: Pix and more

Country superstar Alan Jackson returned to his hometown of Newnan, Georgia on Saturday June 26 for a huge day-long concert , raising money and awareness to assist residents whose lives were upended by a massive EF-4 tornado just three months earlier.

“It’s good to be back down here in my hometown of Newnan, Georgia,” Jackson told the crowd of over 20,000. “I’m from Newnan…my wife, Denise, is from Newnan…we were both born and raised here…and all of our childhood and young adult memories come from this area. When we saw what that tornado did coming through here a few months ago, it broke my heart. It broke Denise’s heart. We had relatives affected by it and friends. The high school that we went to got hit. I was hoping we’d be able to do something to try to help down here and…it’s just been amazing how this community came together to make this happen.”

Chris Young, Georgia native Caylee Hammack, Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Adam Wright and country artist Brian Wright, the latter two both – like Jackson – Newnan natives. Jered Ames from Jackson’s downtown Nashville honky-tonk, AJ’s Good Time Bar, and local artists Corbette Jackson (also a Newnan Native) and Will Finley entertained early in the afternoon as concert goers filled the Coweta County Fairgrounds. College Football Hall of Famer (and former Georgia Bulldog player) David Pollack from ESPN’s College Game Day emceed. Proceeds from the event benefitted the Coweta Community Foundation’s tornado relief fund. As of show day, they had raised over $2 million!