Alan Jackson Sings Emotional ‘Where Were You’ at the National Memorial Day Concert [Watch]

Alan Jackson provided one of the biggest highlights of PBS' National Memorial Day Concert on Monday (May 25) with a rare and emotional performance.

Read More: 50 Stunning Photos of America Honoring Memorial Day

He sang an impactful rendition of his 2001 hit "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," a song originally released in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Nearly 25 years later, the song's message of finding solidarity in national grief and sorrow rings as clear as ever.

Watch Alan Jackson Sing "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" at the National Memorial Day Concert

Jackson's performance of his ballad was simple and straightforward. He sat on a stool and strummed an acoustic guitar as he sang, a backing band accompanying him from the shadows of the stage.

This performance was a special one, and not just because of the Memorial Day holiday.

Jackson rarely performs: He wrapped his Last Call: One More for the Road Tour in May of 2025, and onstage during the final show, he confirmed that it'll be the last concert of his touring career.

Read More: Alan Jackson Confirms He'll Never Tour Again

But he does have one more special, all-star show booked for 2026. Billed as Last Call: One More for the Road — The Finale, it'll be a send-off for the legendary country singer that also includes performances from Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs, Riley Green, Thomas Rhett and many more.

What Is Alan Jackson's "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" About?

Alan Jackson wrote "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" solo, inspired by his experience of seeing television news footage of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"I didn't want to write a patriotic song," he told Today's Christian in 2003, "and I didn't want it to be vengeful, either. But I didn't want to forget about how I felt and how I knew other people felt that day."

Read More: 12 Songs That Honor Fallen Soldiers

The lyrics center mostly around a series of questions: Jackson asks his fellow Americans where they were when they heard the news of the attacks, and how they responded.

Jackson originally pushed back on the idea of releasing the song, saying he didn't want to profit off a national tragedy. But his producer Keith Stegall and his label, Arista Nashville, encouraged him to share the ballad, and it wound up becoming one of the most meaningful songs of Jackson's career.

"Where Were You" was a No. 1 country hit and won trophies at the ACM and CMA Awards. It also won Jackson his first Grammy, for Best Country Song.