Alan Jackson and Daughter Mattie Turn Grief into Music with Emotional New Release “Racing the Dark”
Country legend Alan Jackson has teamed up with someone incredibly close to his heart—his daughter Mattie Jackson Selecman—for a deeply personal new song, “Racing the Dark,” released today (November 16). The track arrives alongside the launch of Mattie’s debut book, Lemons on Friday, a moving account of love, loss, and the unexpected journey toward healing.
Mattie’s story is one marked by unimaginable heartbreak. Just 11 months into her marriage, her husband Ben tragically passed away due to a traumatic brain injury. Out of that darkness, she found herself searching for light—and eventually, a voice.
“One day she handed me this sheet of paper,” Alan recalled. “She said, ‘Daddy, I wrote this… it’s a song, I think.’ I sat down, read it, and started to write the music. What came out was something really tender, really true.”
“Racing the Dark” is the first songwriting collaboration between Alan and his eldest daughter, though Mattie and her sisters have long been muses for his most intimate work. Fans will remember wedding tributes like “You’ll Always Be My Baby” and “I Do” from his 2021 album Where Have You Gone, as well as beloved classics like “Drive (For Daddy Gene)” and “Remember When”, where family love and memory take center stage.
Mattie’s book, Lemons on Friday (Thomas Nelson/W Publishing Group), traces the raw early days of her grief—nights without answers, mornings steeped in ache—and how, over time, she discovered a new sense of purpose. She is now co-founder of NaSHEville, a nonprofit dedicated to serving orphans, widows, and survivors of human trafficking.
The book also includes a foreword by both Alan and his wife Denise, a bestselling author in her own right, offering their perspective on watching their daughter walk through the fire—and come out standing.
Alan, reflecting on the strength his daughter has shown, said simply: “She’s done something I’m not sure I could’ve done.”
“Racing the Dark” is more than a song—it’s a father’s melody, a daughter’s lyric, and a testament to the healing power of family, faith, and finding your way back to hope.