Zac Brown Band & Alan Jackson’s ACM-Winning Song Was a Long Time Coming

When Zac Brown asked Alan Jackson to be on the tune 'As She's Walking Away,' neither had any idea they would walk away with the Academy of Country Music's Vocal Collaboration award Sunday night (April 2).

When the song became a hit, Alan, in his usual aw-shucks drawl, said, "It was nice of Zac to ask me to be part of the song. He's a nice guy."

The collaboration was not the first time the two singers crossed paths. Some time before the Zac Brown Band had a huge, breakthrough hit with 'Chicken Fried,' Zac pitched the song to Alan to record, but the Georgia native turned it down. "I had just recorded several songs about food, and I just thought I should not record another one at the time," Alan remembered. "I thought it was a good song, and I was happy when they had their own hit with it."

When he heard 'As She's Walking Away,' Alan had no hesitation in saying yes to being a part of the song -- which was also a Grammy winner. "We're both from Georgia, and we've played some shows together. He's a real musician and songwriter, and that's why I like him. We're both fans of each other, and I thought the song was cool so I agreed to do it."

Wyatt Durrette co-wrote the tune with Zac. It was his experience in a bar in Orlando that led to the idea for the hit. "Zac and I were in this bar and there was a girl there with her boyfriend, but she was watching me. We never spoke but we were aware of each other all night," Wyatt recalls. "After I left I realized I had missed out by not talking to her, and I was just kicking myself. So that gave me the idea of 'I'm falling in love while she's walking away.' I knew I'd never see her again; I didn't even know her name. She'll never know the song is about her and I'll never forget her."

Zac has a new car from the entire recording experience. Alan surprised him with the gift of a 1966 Cadillac El Dorado when the two performed at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena last December. Zac was thrilled with the white convertible, which was a cool way for Alan to say thanks for including him on the No. 1 smash.

The whole Alan and Zac experience came full circle on the ACM Awards, when Alan introduced Zac's performance with James Taylor on the live broadcast. The two artists received a standing ovation after performing the poignant ZBB ballad, 'Colder Weather,' along with James' classic 'Sweet Baby James.'