On Friday, July 3, 2026, PBS aired its A Capitol Fourth special, a concert celebrating America’s 250th birthday. The show featured several special live performances, including songs from Carly Pearce and Trace Adkins. For us, it was Alan Jackson’s throwback performance of “America the Beautiful” that took the cake. Even though the performance was filmed a few years ago, it still had us in a chokehold the entire time.
In the video, which was recorded at Nashville’s famous Ryman Auditorium in 2021, Jackson sang one of the nation’s most precious anthems. It’s still easily one of the best versions of the song.
Videos by American Songwriter
The 2021 A Capitol Fourth show also included performances from Vanessa Williams, Jimmy Buffett, Gladys Night, Cynthia Erivo, Pentatonix, Renée Fleming, Train, Jennifer Nettles, Mickey Guyton, Jimmie Allen, Auli’i Cravalho, and more.
Last weekend, Jackson gave his final full-length concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The concert topped off a series of shows from Jackson’s Last Call: One More For The Road Tour, and featured performances from Luke Bryan, Eric Church, George Strait, and more.
If you missed this year’s full-length A Capitol Fourth concert, it’s available to watch now on YouTube, until July 17th.
Why Is Jackson Retiring From Big Shows?
When it comes to country music, Jackson has certainly had the kind of career that many country starlets can only dream of. With 35 No. 1s under his belt and over 30 years of country music to his name, Jackson is undisputedly one of the best country voices of all time.
In 2021, Jackson shared that he suffers from a degenerative nerve condition called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. This condition affects not only his ability to move and walk, but subsequently, his ability to perform.
“…but it’s been affecting me for years, and it’s getting more and more obvious,” Jackson shared with Today. “And I know I’m stumbling around on stage and now I’m having a little trouble balancing even in front of the microphone, and so I just feel very uncomfortable and I just want people to know that’s why I look like I do if they were wondering…”
