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The holidays are all about togetherness, and Alan Jackson embodied that spirit perfectly in his CMT holiday special, Alan Jackson: Let It Be Christmas.
During the special, Jackson delivered a heartfelt mix of Christmas favorites, including “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” “Silent Night,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Away in a Manger.” He also performed his own Top 40 holiday hit, Let It Be Christmas, from his 2002 album of the same name.
That performance came with a touching surprise. Jackson began the song alone, but midway through, his wife Denise Jackson and their three young daughters—Mattie, Ali, and Dani—joined him onstage to sing along. The moment grew even more special with the addition of the Belmont University Choir and the W.O. Smith Children’s Choir, turning the performance into a full, family-centered celebration.
Throughout the special, Alan and Denise also shared personal holiday stories from their home, giving viewers a warm, intimate glimpse into their family traditions.
That wouldn’t be the last time Alan shared the stage with his daughters. Years later, in 2021, daughter Ali joined him for a performance of You’ll Always Be My Baby, a song he wrote for his girls. Jackson revealed he originally penned it at the request of his oldest daughter, Mattie, for her wedding in 2017.
“I wrote the song for Mattie’s wedding, but it was so hard to do,” he later shared. “I told them, ‘I wrote this for all of you.’”
The accompanying video features treasured family photos of Mattie, Ali, and Dani growing up—adding another layer of emotion to an already meaningful song.
If you’re looking for a reminder of what the holidays are really about, Jackson’s family performance of “Let It Be Christmas” delivers it beautifully.
