People who became an essential part of one’s life are difficult to forget once they’re gone. And you’ll definitely do everything at your best to pay your last respect for that person. When country music singer Alan Jackson lost a loyal housekeeper in 2007, he used his musical talent to honor this person for the last time. Specifically, he wrote a song as a tribute to his housekeeper Leslie “Sissy” Fitzgerald who died in a motorcycle accident.

“It was for a lady who worked here at our house; someone I saw every day [as] a family. She died suddenly of an accident this past spring and it was really hard on me and all of us.”

Jackson penned the tune immediately after Sissy’s death. After which, he recorded the song for the family at Sissy’s funeral. However, he headed one day to the studio to record the song with producer Keith Stegall. The recording only featured Jackson’s vocals and a steel-string acoustic guitar.

“This is the same track we played at the funeral. It’s a real pretty song and a lot of people told me how much it made them feel better as I was very proud of it.”

“Sissy’s Song” has a moving music video shot in a historic church located south of Nashville. It was directed by Scott Scovill. You can watch the music video below.

A Few Facts of the Song

“Sissy’s Song” expresses how the “Remember When” singer feels for Sissy. Additionally, it was the singer’s hope that “she flew up to heaven on the wings of angels.” The acoustic mid-tempo country ballad was released as the fourth single from Jackson’s album Good Time in March 2009. It earned him a Top 10 hit on the country chart. Peaking at No. 9, “Sissy’s Song” was Jackson’s last country hit on the chart’s Top 10 to date.

The song has several elements that made it earn favorable reviews from music critics. Most of these reflect the personality of the singer, his sense of simplicity and sincerity. Karlie Justus of Engine 145 described the song as “deeply personal and universally relatable.” On the other hand, Lynn Douglas of Country Universe commented on the song as “a reflective and moving experience.”