When Keith Urban was asked to be in Alan Jackson‘s music video for “Mercury Blues,” he was beyond excited, but things didn’t go as he hoped they would.
The year was 1994, and Jackson was the greatest thing since sliced bread in the world of country music. Urban, on the other hand, was just getting his footing in America as a young artist in Nashville. He was thrilled to be involved in a project with such a big name in the industry.
Although Urban did not play guitar on the record, he was cast to be in the video to play the role of a “long-haired guitar player.”
“They film me for a little bit and then Alan comes in and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, it’s Alan Jackson. This is so freaking awesome,'” he says in a whisper, reliving the moment in an interview with Bobby Bones. “I mean, it’s 1994, he’s king!”
“And he comes up with his acoustic [guitar] and he kinda just looks at me and he looks back at the camera and then they run the song. We both shred together,” he continues.
“We were literally two feet from each other. And I’m waiting for him to say something, and he just looks around me,” Urban recounts as he mimics Jackson looking around the room. “Never said a word to me.”
The “Straight Line” singer then shares how he went home, and all of his buddies were so excited to hear what Jackson was like in real life. He explained to them that he didn’t actually meet the country veteran because they didn’t actually speak to one another.
Are Keith Urban and Alan Jackson Friends?
Years down the road Urban would cross paths with the “Chattahoochee” singer, and eventually they got to know each other, becoming friends. There’s no ill will between the two of them whatsoever.
Since then, Urban says Jackson has apologized for his behavior on set that day and explained that he wasn’t a fan of filming the video. Evidently, his team had hired a producer from Los Angeles to work on the shoot, and Jackson felt it was an infringement on his country boy image.
The 30 Best Alan Jackson Songs of All Time
Over his three-decade-plus career, Alan Jackson has released some of the most essential country music songs ever. His catalog includes classic barnburners like “Chattahoochee,” tender ballads like “Remember When” and everything in between.
No matter which songs are your favorite, it’s hard to dispute that Jackson’s music changed the country music genre forever.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
