I like him. He's the genuine article. He did "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning" at the Country Music Awards in Novemeber, two months after the attacks. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. He didn't want to record it but his manager got him to reconsider. Turns out to have been the first post 9-11 related song. It was the first time after the attacks that I cried. All of the rage and hatred just came out. It was the perfect song at the perfect time. Toby Keith's "Angry American" was the perfect followup for the time. I still get choked up when I hear AJ's song. It's one of those special songs.
BTW, I've seen AJ several times and never get tired of his offerings. He also has ONE BIG HOUSE! It has 10,00 square feet of PORCH alons. But it's very beautiful and set in a beautiful area.
His mother lives up the road from me, in the original family home. It started as just a tiny shack, and today is still VERY modest. Jackson offered to give her any home she'd want, and she said she wanted to stay in the home where she and his father started their family.