How Alan Jackson Helped His Daughter Through the Heartbreaking Loss of Her Husband

Alan Jackson’s oldest daughter, Mattie Jackson Selecman, lost her husband at what was meant to be a fun family gathering in September 2018. While on vacation in Florida, Mattie’s husband, Ben Selecman, fell and hit his head. Unfortunately, he sustained injuries that would prove to be fatal – a tragedy that rattled the entire Jackson family.

The country singer revealed that it’s actually one of the reasons why there’s been an extended period off between his album Angels & Alcohol in 2015 and his latest release early this year, Where Have You Gone.

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A post shared by Mattie Jackson Selecman (@mjselecman)

While it may have been three years, Mattie is still grappling with her grief. Luckily, her father has always been supportive. The father-daughter duo has revealed they co-wrote a song called “Racing the Dark.” This is their first co-write, but Alan Jackson daughters have long inspired other tunes of the country icon. This includes “Drive (for Daddy Gene)” as well as two new tracks from Jackson’s latest album.

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Alan Jackson then recorded “Racing the Dark” and is available to download by pre-ordering Mattie’s book, Lemons on Friday – where she opens up about her husband’s tragic death and shares how her faith helped her through the grieving process. Mattie will bring everyone over the early weeks of her heartache and misery, as well as the countless questions that followed. She also gave a glimpse of how her pain helped found new intent in NaSHEville, a company she co-founded that aims to empower women in Music City.

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A post shared by Mattie Jackson Selecman (@mjselecman)

Lemons on Friday also features a foreword by Alan and his wife, New York Times best-selling author, Denise Jackson. The couple shares their daughter’s story from their point of view, like the pain she faced along with their brand new hope for Mattie as she continues to grieve. The book is now available for pre-order and is slated to be published on November 16.