Alan Jackson Tributes His Late Father with Performance of ‘Drive’ on ‘A Capitol Fourth’

Alan Jackson appeared on PBS’ A Capitol Fourth with a special performance of “Drive (For Daddy Gene).” The iconic country…

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Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

July 4, 2021

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7:40 pm

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Alan Jackson; Photo Courtesy PBS

Alan Jackson appeared on PBS’ A Capitol Fourth with a special performance of “Drive (For Daddy Gene).”

The iconic country singer dedicated the touching performance, straight from the stage of Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium, to his late father.  

“I lost my daddy and I wanted to write a song for him, and I didn’t want to write some old sad cryin’, dyin’ thing, so I started thinkin’ about growing up and all I ever wanted to do is drive something, he taught me all about that and that’s what this song’s about,” Jackson said. 

“Drive (For Daddy Gene)” was written by the Country Music Hall of Famer and released in early 2002 as the second single from his album, Drive. The song reached the top spot on the country radio charts and even climbed to No.28 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written for his father, Eugene. 

Re-live Jackson’s performance of “Drive (For Daddy Gene)” below. 

Later in the show, Jackson returned to the stage with a moving rendition of “America the Beautiful.” That performance can be viewed by clicking below. 

A Capitol Fourth brought together with themes of love, hope, and patriotism and also featured performances from Cynthia Erivo, Jimmy Buffett, Pentatonix, Gladys Knight, Train, Jennifer Nettles, Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton, Ali Stroker, Auli’i Cravalho and more.

Additionally, Renée Fleming kicked off the celebratory event with a stunning rendition of The National Anthem.

Co-hosted by Vanessa Williams, the 41st annual A Capitol Fourth, America’s Independence Day celebration aired on Sunday, July 4 (8:00-9:30 p.m. EST) on PBS, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network.

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

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