Alan Jackson Joins the Crowd in New-Traditionalist Country

Not too long ago, a country singer could stand out from the crowd by chucking the rhinestones, slapping on a pair of jeans and getting back to musical basics. Nowadays, back-to-basics is the crowd.

Alan Jackson, among the latest in the ever-growing line of chart-busting new-traditionalist singers, makes no bones about the trend.

“It’s definitely getting crowded out there,” the Newnan, Ga.-born singer and songwriter said in a recent interview. “I kinda got into the tail end before it really exploded. After me seems like a ton of ‘em came out. I’m not an expert on the music business, but . . . there’s so many right now, they can’t all hang on forever--and I might be one of ‘em. But some people are gonna have longevity.”

Jackson got a quick start out of the gate with three straight No. 1 country singles from his debut album, “Here in the Real World,” thanks to an easygoing vocal style and a wry point of view. He wrote or co-wrote nine of the album’s 10 songs.

Although Jackson didn’t come from a musical household, he tinkered in bands through most of his teens and into his early 20s while working at a variety of jobs--from forklift operator at K mart to used-car salesman--before amassing enough confidence and original songs to move to Nashville in 1985 and give the record business a go.

Several years and countless rejections later, Jackson met Arista Records officials who were trying to launch a Nashville division.

“They were new to country music, but they had a good track record for having a lot of faith and confidence in their artists,” said Jackson, 32, and disarmingly soft-voiced. His second album is due this spring, and he’ll spend most of the year touring as Randy Travis’ opening act.

While admitting that country music lately has been following pop’s lead of depending more and more on performers’ looks, Jackson doesn’t worry that the Milli Vanilli-zation of country has begun.

“It helps if you have good looks,” the singer conceded. “I’m not saying that’s what sells the record. . . . There has to be talent in there too.”