On this day (September 2) in 2003, Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett were at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart with “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” The song spent a total of eight weeks at the top of the tally. Additionally, it became Jackson’s biggest crossover hit when it reached No. 17 on the Hot 100. It was also Buffett’s first country No. 1 and his first pop top 40 hit since “Margaritaville.”
The song’s chart success was only half of the story. It also won an armful of awards. It won the CMA Award for Vocal Event of the Year, which was Buffett’s first award. At the ACM Awards, it took home Single Record and Vocal Event of the Year. In short, the song created some big moments for both artists. That almost didn’t happen, though.
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According to Songfacts, multiple artists passed on this huge hit before Jackson claimed it.
Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett Almost Didn’t Get This Hit
Jim “Moose” Brown and Don Rollins wrote “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” At the time, Brown was playing piano on sessions for a new recording artist named Colt Prather. He was cutting his first album for Sony, and they wanted a song with an island feel. They had that in mind while writing the song.
When they finished it and played the demo for Prather, he quickly passed on it. Then, they took it to Kenny Chesney. He wasn’t looking for something with an island vibe at the time. As a result, he passed on the song as well.
“Then, I got the call that it was on hold for Alan [Jackson], which I thought was strange,” Rollins said. “If you hear the demo, it’s very island-y. There are acoustic guitars and steel drum samples–very much Buffett,” he explained. “The idea that someone as country as Alan Jackson might be interested in that song never even occurred to me. Then, I got wind that he was wanting to do a duet with Buffett, and it made a little big more sense at that point.”
Featured Image by R. Diamond/WireImage
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