Alan Jackson and Daughter Mattie Co-Write New Song Together

After teasing a father/daughter collaboration on Wednesday, Alan Jackson and his eldest daughter, Mattie Jackson Selecman, have revealed that they co-wrote a song in honor of her first book. 

The track, “Racing the Dark,” was co-written by the father/daughter duo and recorded by the country icon. The song is available to download for a limited time by pre-ordering Mattie’s book, Lemons on Friday. 

The upcoming release, out November 16, finds Mattie sharing her story of facing the heartbreaking loss of her husband, Ben Selecman, who died in 2018 after suffering a head injury after falling on a boat dock near West Palm Beach, Florida. 

At the time of his death, Mattie and Ben had been married less than one year. He was only 28 years old. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Mattie Jackson Selecman (@mjselecman)

Throughout the book, Selecman also touches on how the nonprofit she started two months before Ben’s passing called NaSHEville, which helps orphans, human trafficking victims and widows, took on a whole new meaning following her own loss.

“My greatest hope in sharing my grief and story with the world is that anyone who is struggling, regardless the circumstances, will be reminded that no heartbreak or loss is unredeemable; that by confidently clinging to hope, we can truly heal,” says Selecman.

Lemons on Friday also features a foreword by Alan and wife Denise Jackson, who happens to be a New York Times best-selling author herself. In the foreword, Alan and Denise share Mattie’s story from their perspective as well as their renewed hope for her as she continues to grieve.