Yesterday, Alan Jackson blessed us with the emotional “Racing The Dark,” a song his daughter Mattie had written about the tragic death of her husband Ben.
As you can imagine, this had to be incredibly difficult for both Alan and his daughter, especially after only 11 months of marriage before her husband Ben Selecman tragically slipped and fell on a boat dock, resulting in a fatal brain injury.
Jackson recently weighed in on how his daughter handled the the tragedy, and how she turned her journey through heartache into an emotional song:
“I’m really surprised how well she was able to handle all that. I know I couldn’t have done what she’s done.
One day she came to me with this piece of paper and said, ‘I wrote this song…the lyrics,’ and asked me to put it to music. So, I wrote the melody for it, and it turned out to be a very sweet song.
It’s a beautiful song. And it’s well-written, lyrically. She told a little more of her story in it… so I’m anxious for my fans to get to hear this.”
The song was released in conjunction with Mattie’s new book, titled Lemons on Friday, where she talks about the incredible grief she experienced following her husband’s passing, and how she has learned to overcome the pain and move forward.
And if you’re a huge fan of good ol’ fashioned mandolin, compelling lyrics, and incredible harmonies, be sure to check out “Racing The Dark.”
