Sony Music Nashville today announced that it and superstar Alan Jackson have ended their relationship. He was the first artist signed to the Arista roster in 1989—today under the Sony umbrella—leading to a successful partnership for more than 20 years.
According to the label’s official statement, “Sony Music Nashville wishes to thank Alan Jackson for their long association and the many hit records achieved as a result of that association. In an amicable parting, Sony confirms that Alan has delivered his final recordings to the company and wishes him well.”
“I’ve had a great run with Arista going all the way back to the beginning of my career when I signed with Tim DuBois,” explained Jackson in a statement. “I’ve gotten to work with some real great people along the way and we accomplished a lot. It just seems to me like the time may be right to change things up a bit and see what comes next.”
Jackson’s manager Nancy Russell relaunched her firm last year under the name the co-op. She has been building a team that includes former Sony exec Maurice Miner. Jackson is also represented by William Morris Endeavor.
He is gearing up for the first leg of his 2011 tour with sold-out shows in Canada, followed by his first tour of Australia. He is currently writing and working on songs for a new album.
With 50 million album sales to his credit, Jackson is a 16-time award winner at both the CMA and ACM Awards, a tally that includes three CMA Entertainer of the Year honors. He is a GRAMMY winner and has topped the country singles charts 35 times.
