Alan Jackson Opens 25th Anniversary Tour With Elvis Cover [WATCH]

Alan Jackson kicked off his 25th Anniversary Keepin' It Country Tour on Jan. 8 in Fort Myers, Fla., with a tribute to one of music's biggest legends. He performed Elvis Presley's 'Hound Dog,' in honor of what would have been the King of Rock and Roll's 80th birthday.

Jackson will spend the next several months on the road, but he insists it isn't a farewell tour.

“I don’t know what I’d retire from," Jackson quips. "I don’t work much now."

The 56-year-old country legend is joined on his tour by opening acts Jon Pardi and Brandy Clark, two relative newcomers who he says are a perfect fit for his cross-country trek.

“Of all the new guys I've heard, I like that Jon is closer to country than most of the others, and I thought his songwriting was better than what I've heard in a while,” Jackson explains. “And I love Brandy’s songwriting. There’s a song on her album ['12 Stories'], ‘In Some Corner,’ that I thought about covering on the new album. I really studied it. It’s written from a girl’s perspective, and I couldn't figure out a clean way to make it come from a guy. She’s really a talented singer. She sounds new and old at the same time.”

Jackson will head to New England later this month, performing shows in both Massachusetts and Maine. See all of his upcoming concerts here.