NEWNAN, Ga. -- A country music legend with strong ties to Georgia announced sad news, on Saturday, that his mother had died.
The announcement was first made on Alan Jackson's official website and his social media accounts that Ruth Jackson "known to her family, friends and country music fans the world over as 'Mama Ruth' - died Saturday morning ... peacefully at her home in Newnan Georgia."
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The notice says that she was 86 and a "celebrated part of son Alan Jackson's career and life story." She was also the inspiration behind some of his many songs.
"Mama Ruth" was the inspiration behind "Precious Memories" a collection of gospel hymns that was originally created as a Mother's Day gift to her and wasn't actually meant for release. Jackson's Christmas album, Let It Be Christmas" was also inspired by his mom.
The release from Jackson also reports of his parents' early years as a coup in "Home".
Outside of her relation to such a well-known Georgia country music singer, Mama Ruth made a name for herself locally as a great cook, The Newnan Times-Herald reports, having managed cafeterias at the local Playtex plant and at Elm Street School.
There she became particularly well-known for her cinnamon rolls the paper says.
In recent years, she also became heavily involved in the family music group "StrayNotes".
