Can’t Never Could, Inc. has announced that Denise Jackson will be the speaker for its third annual Grey Matters Dinner Event scheduled for Friday, March 18, at the Newnan Centre. Tickets are $60 each and are now on sale at www.cantnevercouldinc.com.
A local nonprofit, Can’t Never Could was established in 2013 by Rob and Christi Estes of Newnan as a result of Rob’s diagnosis with Grade IV glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. Rob has successfully undergone radiation and chemotherapy, and it was early in his battle with cancer that he and Christi decided to start a nonprofit to help those facing similar challenges. The name “Can’t Never Could” was inspired by Rob’s mother. He said that when he was growing up and complained about something he couldn’t do, she would always reply, “Can’t never could.”
Denise Jackson was born and raised in Newnan. The “late surprise” to her middle-aged parents, Dan and Nell Jackson (yes, her maiden name was Jackson), Denise and her twin brother, Danny, grew up with sister Jane and brother Ron. The Jackson family were faithful members of Unity Baptist Church, which profoundly shaped Denise’s faith, even as a young child. Denise was an overachiever in academics and athletics in high school — a pretty cheerleader who attracted Alan Jackson’s attention at the young age of 16.
High school sweethearts, Denise and Alan married when Denise was 19 and Alan 21. Denise completed her BS degree in early childhood education in three years at West Georgia College. She taught second and third grades at Atkinson Elementary School, the same school she attended as a child.
In 1985, Alan and Denise packed all their earthly possessions into a small U-Haul trailer and drove to Nashville to pursue Alan’s dream of being a country music singer. While Alan wrote songs, performed at small clubs all over the country and shopped his demos to record producers in Music City, Denise switched careers and became a flight attendant for Piedmont Airlines. This new career ultimately led to her meeting Glen Campbell in the Atlanta airport and Alan’s first paid writing contract. She continued working until the birth of their first daughter in 1990, which happily coincided with Alan’s signing a record contract with Arista Records — the beginning of his extraordinary career that now exceeds 25 years.
Denise and Alan have three beautiful daughters, Mattie (25), Ali (22) and Dani (18). As they embrace their new season in life as “empty nesters,” they look forward to spending time at their north Georgia lake home and in south Florida, as well as being their girls’ biggest supporters in all their personal endeavors.
Although Denise has lived her adult life in the spotlight of today’s celebrity-driven media as the wife of a country music superstar and all the perks that come with that lifestyle, she has also weathered seasons of loss, heartbreak and adversity — specifically the painful loss of her beloved brother, Ron, to suicide in 1994, the brief separation from Alan in 1998, and most recently, her 2010 cancer diagnosis. Through it all, her Christian faith has been the anchor that has kept her grounded in the good times and has been her lifeline in seasons of pain and adversity, as she chronicled in her 2007 New York Times Bestselling autobiography, It’s All About Him, Finding the Love of My Life.
Denise believes that her life’s calling now is to be an encourager to others facing the same life-altering experiences that she has faced. She passionately professes “the power of God to heal, redeem and restore anything in our lives that is not as it should be — as we take hold of the promises found in His Word through prayer and believing.”
The Can’t Never Could Grey Matters Dinner Event with Denise Jackson is set for Friday, March 18, beginning at 6 p.m. at The Newnan Centre, 1515 Lower Fayetteville Rd. in Newnan. In addition to individual seats for $60, sponsorship opportunities are also available, and Sponsorship Levels include Diamond ($4,000 or more), Platinum ($2,500), Gold ($1,000), Silver ($500) and Bronze ($250). Sponsorship Levels include name/logo in event marketing and signage, mention at the event, web mentions, seats at the dinner (number varies depending on level of sponsorship), and advertising material in the event goody bag.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cantnevercouldinc.com.
