Country music superstar Alan Jackson was devastated by the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001. He eventually channeled those feelings into a song, which we now know as “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).”

Jackson sang “Where Were You” for the first time live at the CMA Awards on November 7, 2001, less than two months after the 9/11 attacks.

Years later, in a video filmed for the CMA Awards‘ 50th anniversary, Jackson looked back on that emotional debut performance:

“It was a nervous performance, of course, doing it for the first time live in front of everybody, and television.”

Jacksona added, “In retrospect, now I realize it was a good thing for the show and for all people who’ve told me how much the song had affected them.”