Alan Jackson’s songs are often about workers picking up a hammer and hard hat and southern men from small towns. The country star next month will be singing for the families who lost loved ones during the mining disaster at Upper Big Branch.

On April 5, 29 miners were killed and two others were injured when an explosion occurred at the Upper Branch Massey Energy coal mine in Montcoal, West Virginia. It was the worst mining disaster in the US since an explosion in 1970 occurred in Hyden, KY, killing 38 people.

The 2010 tour schedule for Jackson includes a visit to West Virginia. On May 22 he will perform at Charleston’s Civic Center, located approximately 30 miles north from the coal mine at Upper Big Branch. Jackson, to honor the victims from the mining disaster as well as their families, will donate profits from his show to Montcoal’s Mining Disaster Fund. West Virginia Council of Churches is administering the fund.

Joe Manchin, West Virginia’s Governor said, this donation is wonderful from Alan. On behalf of West Virginia, this is a great honor for the miners and their families along with the rescue workers. Alan is a world-renowned entertainer who doesn’t ever forget his small town beginnings or how important family is.

To help encourage fans to support the cause, part of the venue’s ticket prices have been lowered to only $20. Several suppliers and vendors have cut their prices as well for the performance.

Jackson is currently on tour in support of “Freight Train,” his sixteenth studio set, which was released this March. The album includes “Hard Hat and a Hammer.”

Jackson’s next performance is in Campaign, Ill at Assembly Hall. His calendar is booked through to September 29, where he will be performing in Minot, ND at the All Seasons Arena at the Norsk Hostfest.

Additional ticket information is available on Jackson’s official website.

Donations can be made through the website of the West Virginia Council of Churches.

A new six week run of spring shows have been mapped out by Alan Jackson ahead of the release of “Freight Train,” Jackson’s upcoming studio album due out in March.

Jackson will be kicking his outing off in Fort Myers, FL on April 8. The 15 city trek will wrap up with a Lexington, KY show on May 23. The schedule for Jackson also includes a couple appearances at festivals, including a Livestock Show & Rodeo appearance in Houston on March 2.

“Freight Train” was produced by Keith Stegall, a longtime collaborator with Jackson. The new set features “It’s Just That Way,” the lead single, which peaked on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at No. 20.

Eight of the 12 songs on the album were written or co-written by Jackson. Lee Ann Womack appears with Jackson on a cover of “Til the End.” The original was a 1997 duet with Janie Fricke and the deceased Vern Gosdin.

The previous album from Jackson, “Good Time” was released in 2008 and spawned several hit singles. They included the title track, “Sissy’s Song,” “Country Boy,” and “Small Town Southern Man.” The album was the forth release by Jackson to simultaneously debut in the No. 1 spot on both the Top Country and Billboard 200 chart.

Alan Jackson, in anticipation of his upcoming studio release in March titled “Freight Train”, has started to put tour dates together. It’s the sixteenth full length album from the veteran country singer.

In Jackson’s near future he will be heading to Canada to do a few shows. He will kick off his trek in Lethbridge, Alberta on January 21. He will then have another show in Alberta along with two appearances in Saskatchewan. Jackson will then take a break before heading out next month for some country festival and rodeo appearances. He will be on the road into early spring.

Keith Stegall, a longtime collaborator of Jackson’s, produced “Freight Train.” It is due to be released and out in stores on March 30. The lead single for the new album, “It’s Just That Way,” debuted in December on Billboard’s country chart at No. 50.

Eight of the twelve songs on the new album were either written or co-written by Jackson. Lee Ann Womack appears with Jackson on “Til the End,” which is a cover of the 1997 duet featuring Janie Fricke with the deceased Vern Gosdin.

“Good time,” Jackson’s previous album from 2008, spawned multiple hit sings, including the title track, “Sissy’s Song,” “Country Boy,” and “Small Town Southern Man.” It was the fourth release of Jackson’s to debut simultaneously at No. 1 on Top Country Albums Chart and Billboard 200.

2010 Alan Jackson Concert Tour
January 2010
21 – Lethbridge, Alberta – Enmax Centre
22 – Red Deer, Alberta – Enmax Centrium
23 – Regina, Saskatchewan – Brandt Centre
24 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Credit Union Centre

February 2010
17 – San Antonio, TX – San Antonio Rodeo

March 2010
2 – Houston, TX – Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo

June 2010
26 – Grand Junction, CO – Country Jam

July 2010
17 – Sarnia, Ontario – Sarnia Rogers Bayfest
31 – Cheyenne, WY – Cheyenne Frontier Days

August 2010
7 – Halifax, Nova Scotia – Country Rock Fest

September 2010
28, 29 – Minot, ND – Norsk Hostfest

“Songs of Love and Heartache,” the forthcoming album from Alan Jackson, will be released along with Jackson merchandise as The Alan Jackson Collection. According to a recent press release, the collection will be exclusively sold through Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores. The album features 12 songs, including two tunes that were previously unreleased.

Starting on November 2 The Alan Jackson Collection will be available. It features over 40 times that were created along with the country star. They include jewelry, clothing, collectibles, food items, and the Alan Jackson Signature Rocker chair, which is an exclusive. Other items being offered by Cracker Barrel inspired by Jackson include decorative throws, hats, candles and mugs.

The Cracker Barrel restaurants and stores are comprised of 591 locations that are company owned in 41 states. In 2003 the company started a music program featuring exclusive CDs from some of the more popular country music artists, including Charlie Daniels, Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs, Kenny Rogers, Bill Gaither, Montgomery Gentry and Dolly Parton.

Alan Jackson, still riding high from the success of “Good Time,” his latest album, is rolling his tour dates out for 2009.

The country singer will kick things off in San Antonio on February 27 with a Stock Show & Rodeo gig, followed up with a Rodeo Houston performance on March 4. Currently 10 cities are scheduled for Jackson’s 2009 calendar through September.

Much of last year was spent by Jackson traveling across North American in support of his 17th studio set, “Good Time,” which was his fourth album to simultaneously debut in the No. 1 spot on the Top Country Albums and Billboard 200 charts. The album provided Jackson with his longest No. 1 hits streak since the middle 1990s. “Small Town Southern Man,” the title track, and “Country Boy” topped the Hot Country Songs chart.

Jackson was reunited with Keith Stegall, his long time collaborator, on “Good Time.” It was also the first time that Jackson was the only writer on all of the album’s songs. The new set pushed Jackson’s career sales last fall to over 50 million.

In addition to all the accolades that Jackson’s new album has received, the country superstar was also honored last year on “CMT Giants: Alan Jackson.” Performers such as Taylor Swift, Lee Ann Womack, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley and George Strait among others paid tribute to Jackson.

In a recent press release, Jackson said, usually you’re dead or your career is over before something like this is done. I am very lucky getting this now.

Jackson has received over 100 major music industry awards, including three Entertainer of the Year awards from the Country Music Association. According to a recent press release Jackson has received more CMA nominations than any other artist in history.

This fall the newest set of Alan Jackson “Good Time” shows will be featuring help from Trace Adkins, “Celebrity Apprentice” finalist and fellow country singer.

Jackson and Adkins will be kicking off their run of 17 cities together in Fayetteville, NC on October 2. The trek will travel through Canada and the Midwest and then over to the West Coast. The outing will wrap up late November.

The two country singers also have their own headlining schedules for the summer and beyond.

“Good Time,” the 17th studio set from Jackson, was released in March. It follows up two 2006 chart topping sets, “Like Red on a Rose” and “Precious Memories,” the inspirational, award winning collection. On the new album Jackson reunited with Keith Stegall, his longtime collaborator. Stegall has either co-produced or produced all except one of the previous albums from Jackson.

According to date from Nielsen SoundScan, during the first week of its release “Good Time” sold 119,000 copies, debuting in the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s 200 chart. In March “Small Town Southern Man,” the lead single from the album, topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was the first No. 1 hit for Jackson since “Remember When” in 2004.

Adkins, who placed second last spring to Piers Morgan , the celebrity chef on “Celebrity Apprentice, currently is working on his new studio set. It is due to be released in November.

Adkins said, we had been trying to finish the album up, but then “Apprentice” came up so I didn’t have any time for finishing the album.

Next month when Alan Jackson heads out on a string of dates across North America he will be previewing material from “Good Time,” his upcoming album.

Jackson is scheduled to kick off in San Antonio with Livestock and Rodeo Show afternoon and night performances. He will then have a handful of appearances at festivals and arenas across the US before joining Brooks & Dun on an April run of Canadian concerts.

“Good time,” the 17th album from Jackson, will be released on March 4. “Small Town Southern Man, the album’s lead single, already has been making a significant radio impact. Currently the song after 10 weeks is in the No. 11 slot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

In 2006, Jackson released two albums that topped the charts, “Like Red on a Rose,” the Grammy nominated set, and “Precious Memories,” an inspirational and award winning collection. “Good Time” signals Jackson’s return to the songwriter role. The album is the first set where Jackson has written all of the songs.

In the past, Jackson has been very successful with his compositions. According to a recent press release, Jackson has songwriting credit on 21 out of 31 of the country singer’s No. 1 singles.

On “Good Time,” Jackson also reunited with Keith Stegall, the singer’s long time collaborator. Stegall has been the co-producer or producer on all except one of Jackson’s prior albums.

Jackson also makes an appearance on the set from last spring “Live at Texas Stadium,” along with Jimmy Buffett and George Strait and also on “How Great Thou Art: Gospel Favorites Live from the Grand Ole Opry,” an upcoming compilation due to be released on February 5.

Winner of three Entertainer of the Year awards from the Country Music Association, Jackson has received a Best Male Country Vocal Performance Grammy nomination for “A Woman’s Love” from his set “Like Red on a Rose” produced by Alison Krauss.

Jackson is considered by many to be a standard bearer for traditional country music. According to his biography, since 1989 the singer has sold over 45 million records and won over 95 industry awards.

This year country music superstars Brooks & Dunn and Alan Jackson will be teaming up to do a co-headlining tour.

The North American trek, comprising of almost 30 dates coast to coast, will be kicking off in Virginia Beach, VA on May 10 and wrap up in Florida with several shows in October.

According to a recent press release, the pair of Grammy award winning acts have collectively scored over fifty No. 1 hit singles and sold nearly 80 million albums.

Jackson, winner of three Entertainer of the Year awards from the Country Music Association, last year was on top of the album charts twice, with “Precious Memories, “ his platinum selling set of gospel classics, as well as “Like Red on a Rose.” “A Woman’s Love” is the current single spawned from “Like Red on a Rose.”

According to a recent statement, Brooks & Dunn has received more awards from the Academy of Country Music and CMA than any other act in history. The most recent album from the duo is “Hillbilly Deluxe,” their platinum certified set released in 2005. The album spawned “Play Something Country,” the group’s 23rd No. 1 single as well as the award winning hit single “Believe.”

Currently, Brooks & Dunn have several headlining dates scheduled on their own. They will also be performing on a run of six NFL stadium shows on the “Flip Flop Summer Tour” of Kenny Chesney’s.

Opening on the Brooks & Dunn/Jackson outing will be the newcomers Catherine Britt and Jake Owen. Owen was one of 2006′s top selling new male singers. “Yee Haw,” is the hit single from his debut set “Startin’ with Me.” Britt, an Australian beauty, is on the airwaves currently with her first single “What I Did Last Night” from her forthcoming debut on RCA Nashville.

The latest set from Alan Jackson, “Like Red on a Rose”, will be released in stores on September 26. Jackson will back the album with a fall tour round of dates.

Jackson, who in recent months has played scattered dates, so far has 10 shows lined up running late September until early December. Jackson’s next concert will be in Stillwater, OK at Oklahoma State University on September 30. It is expected that more dates will be added.

Early this summer, “Like Red on a Rose” was recorded In Nashville. Alison Krauss, Grammy award winner, produced the album, soliciting songs from a wide array of songwriters including Robert Lee Castleman, author of the title track hit single, Patrick Brayer, Sidney Cox and Leon Russell.

Special guests on the album include Dan Tyminski and Lee Ann Womack along with Krauss contributing background vocals.

In a statement, Jackson said, this was Alison’s baby. I just let her run with it. There’s even an old song of mine on there that I wrote many years ago. The songs doesn’t sound like the original at all, but Alison made a very cool record from it.

“A Woman’s Love,” the old track, is the only songwriting credit for Jackson on the new set.

This year Jackson has stayed busy. “Like Red on a Rose” was the second album released by the singer in 2006, preceded by “Precious Memories” in February, a gospel classics collection record by Jackson to give to his mother as a Christmas gift. It became the first ever gospel recording to debut in the No. 1 spot on the Top Country Albums chart of Billboard. Last month the album was platinum-certified, confirming that 1 million copies had been sold in the US.

Last month, “Precious Memories” earned Jackson nominations for Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year from the Country Music Association. Winners are set to be announced at a ceremony on November 6 in Nashville. The awards ceremony will air on ABC-TV live.