Ella Langley's Heartfelt Video Message to Alan Jackson at His Final Concert
Ella sent Alan Jackson a video tribute ahead of his farewell show at Nissan Stadium, and her words about getting to make music in his era hit us right in the chest.
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When Alan Jackson walked out to play his final show at Nashville's Nissan Stadium on Saturday, June 27, the lineup of people paying tribute read like the entire history of country music — George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Lainey Wilson, and video messages from Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, and more. And right there in the mix was one of our favorites, sending her own message to a legend: Ella Langley.
Ella recorded a short video tribute that played as part of the farewell, and honestly it's the kind of thing that reminds us why we love her. She didn't try to be polished or quotable. She just said what every young artist in Nashville is probably feeling. "If we could all just have half of the career that you've had, then all of our dreams would be made," she told him, before admitting she was "jealous of everyone who gets to see your last show."
The line that stuck with us most: "I'm just honored that I get to even be in the time that Alan Jackson was putting out music." Coming from an artist who just landed her own first No. 1 album with Dandelion and is selling out arenas across the country, that kind of humility says a lot about where her head's at.
Jackson, who has been open about living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, drew more than 50,000 fans for the send-off. He pushed through a weather delay and still delivered a full set, closing the book on one of the most decorated careers the genre has ever seen. For a younger generation of singers like Ella, he's the blueprint — proof that you can be plainspoken, deeply Southern, and still become one of the biggest names in music.
It's a nice full-circle moment when you think about where Ella is right now. She just picked up recognition during awards season (we wrote about her ACM Honors moment), and her Dandelion tour is rolling into its second leg this fall. Watching her tip her hat to the artists who paved the way, even while she's busy paving her own, is exactly the kind of country we're here for.
If you want to catch Ella live as she carries that torch forward, all her upcoming dates are on our tour page.
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