
The country singer was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a chronic neuropathy condition that affects motor skills, in 2011
Alan Jackson is doing what he does best.
On Thursday, the country artist ā who originally kicked off his farewell tour in 2022 ā announced his plans to extend his “Last Call: One More for the Road Tour” as he continues to battle major health issues.
“Fans know when they come to my shows, theyāre going to hear the songs that made me who I am ā the ones they love,” he said in a statement via his website.
“I’ve been touring for over 30 years ā my daughters are all grown, we have one grandchild and one on the way. Iām enjoying spending more time at home. But my fans always show up to have a good time, and Iām going to give them the best show I can for this āLast Call.ā”
His farewell tour provides “one final chance” for Jackson’s fans to see and hear the iconic singer-songwriter perform his best-loved songs in concert, the website reads.
Jackson kicked off the tour just one year afterĀ revealing his battleĀ with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a degenerative nerve condition that affects his motor skills. He was diagnosed in 2011.
“I have this neuropathy and neurological disease,” Jackson said during aĀ “Today” showĀ interview at the time. “Itās genetic that I inherited from my daddy. Thereās no cure for it, but itās been affecting me for years. And itās getting more and more obvious.”

The singer-songwriter first revealed his battle with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in 2021.Ā (Terry Wyatt/WireImage)
The singer-songwriter said he’s been “self-conscious” on stage because it’s affected his ability to balance, especially in front of a crowd and in front of the microphone.
“I know I’m stumbling around stage now,” he continued. “I’m having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone. I just feel very uncomfortable.”
“In some ways it’s a relief [to talk about it] because I was starting to get so self-conscious up there about stumbling around,” he added. “I think it’ll be good for me now to get it out in the open. If anybody’s curious at why I don’t walk right, that’s why.”
In 2023, the two-timeĀ Grammy AwardĀ winner opened up about his plans to release new music despite his personal setback.

Jackson announced his plans to extend his farewell tour to 10 more cities.Ā (John Shearer/Getty Images for Acme Feed & Seed)
“Iām always scribbling down ideas and thinking about melodies ⦠I feel like thereāll be some more music to come, yes,” Jackson said during an appearance on his daughter Mattie Jacksonās “In Joy Life” podcast.
“I may not have toured much, but again ⦠like I said, the creative part jumps out every now and then,” Jackson said.
“[Writing songs] is more fulfilling than anything,” Jackson confessed.
“It’s like, you can be a singer and go out and tour ⦠but it’s kind of like you’re just doing the same thing over and over,” he pointed out.

The musician was honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.Ā (Terry Wyatt/WireImage)
“When you make an album, or especially when you write a lot of the songs for it, that’s creating something. It’s a challenge, so it keeps you interested a little more. If I didn’t write, I think I would’ve gotten bored just singing a long time ago.”
In November 2022, Jackson was honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 56th AnnualĀ Country Music Association Awards.
Alan Jackson Shares Devasting Diagnosis, Please Pray
Renowned country music artist Alan Jackson has recently shared some unfortunate news with his fans. The 62-year-old Grammy winner has been diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a progressive nerve disease. This diagnosis has brought challenges to his life as it impairs his balance and weakens his muscles, affecting his ability to perform on stage.
CMT disease is a genetic condition that Jackson inherited from his father and grandmother. His sister is also currently fighting the disease. While there is no cure for CMT, it is important to note that it is not a life-threatening condition. However, it can be associated with other health issues such as Parkinsonās and muscular dystrophy.
Despite the devastating diagnosis, Jackson remains hopeful about his future in the music industry. In a recent interview with TODAY show host Jenna Bush Hager, he shared his belief that being open about his condition is a āblessing.ā He no longer wants to hide his struggles and hopes to continue touring, although he acknowledges the challenges that may arise.
Jacksonās impact on country music is undeniable. With over 43.5 million albums sold in the United States, he holds the title of one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. Last year, he was inducted into the prestigious Country Music Hall of Fame, a moment celebrated by other country music legends such as Loretta Lynn and Lee Ann Womack. Despite her recent stroke recovery, Lynn attended the induction ceremony. She praised Jackson, saying, āThe first time I ever met Alan, he looked like a scared little boy. He hasnāt let me down. Youāre going to be one of the greatest singers in country music.ā
Jacksonās journey with CMT disease presents challenges, but it does not define his success. With the unwavering support of his fans and fellow musicians, he will continue to make music and inspire others. Let us stand in solidarity with Alan Jackson as he faces this battle with courage and determination.
Country legend Alan Jackson said farewell to Salt Lake City āĀ and the fans showed up

For 30 years, Alan Jackson has been singing āGone Country,ā which tells the story of a Vegas lounge singer, a folk artist and a āserious composerā who all turn to country music out of a desperation to keep their careers alive.
The upbeat song is a bit tongue and cheek ā the songwriter himself, Bob McDill, was entrenched in the world of pop music before he crossed over to the country side. But thereās an underlying truth to Jacksonās 1994 hit: country music seems to have a gravitational pull that draws in artists and fans from all backgrounds.
Perhaps thatās even more the case in 2024, when superstars likeĀ BeyonceĀ andĀ Post MaloneĀ have offered up their own takes on the genre, releasing albums that blend traditional country music with a wide range of styles, including hip-hop and pop.
āGone Countryā pokes fun at this trend, but it also highlights how all-encompassing the genre can be ā Beyonce and Post Malone both hit No. 1 with their country albums this year, after all. But their current success hasnāt pushed out old-school country artists like Jackson.
At 66 years old, the country music legend is on a farewell tour that stopped in Salt Lake City Saturday night. Thirty-five years since his first record deal ā and 35 No. 1 hits later ā Jackson seemed emotional as he stepped onto the stage to the strains of āGone Countryā and looked around at the packed arena.
The cheers spoke volumes: In country music, thereās room for it all.

Alan Jackson brings his greatest hits to Salt Lake City
Jackson is firmly rooted in traditional country music, inspired by the likes of George Jones and Hank Williams, and in a similar camp of style withĀ Garth BrooksĀ and the late Toby Keith.
Wearing a wide-brimmed cowboy hat and faded ripped jeans, the singer referred to āreal country musicā a few times during his Salt Lake show.
āAppreciate yāall being here. I always tell everybody, āI just came here to play real country music tonight,āā he told his fans at one point. āSongs about life and love and heartache, drinking and dancing and crying and dying and mama and having a good time ā all that stuff that makes country music.ā

āThe main thing is I just want to have a good time with you,ā he continued, encouraging the crowd to dance.
And the fans were more than happy to oblige.
Jacksonās greatest hits are so wide-reaching theyāre inescapable. Heās got more No. 1 hits than he could comfortably fit in a setlist ā but his farewell tour setlist delivers the best.
A couple of minutes before 10 p.m., after more than an hour of performing hits including āDonāt Rock the Jukeboxā and āRemember When,ā Jackson launched into āItās Five OāClock Somewhereā ā complete with a āWe miss you Jimmy Buffett.ā And the hits kept coming as he followed that up with āChattahoocheeā and āWhere I Come From.ā
He actually messed up the lyrics to āWhere I Come From,ā and had to restart a verse a few times. But the fans were forgiving ā and many were likely distracted by the video that played during the song, featuring clips of downtown Salt Lake City and highlighting collegiate and professional sports in Utah (the footage was so recent that it included BYUās game-winning field goal over Utah in one of the rivalryās most intense and controversial games that happened earlier this month).
Jacksonās voice is a little worn, but 1990s country music has never really been about vocal prowess ā although Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Martina McBride and other female country stars from this era certainly have powerhouse voices. Rather, itās in the storytelling, the imagery of summertime and hanging out by the river and sitting on the front porch. Learning how to drive, finding love, growing old. Vignettes that are vague but relatable enough to allow the listeners to become the characters.
And some fans really got into character. A group of women wore shades, mustaches and life vests, mimicking Jacksonās appearance in the official music video for āChattahoochee.ā One man wore the No. 34 Dallas Cowboys shirt that Jackson also wears in that video.
āI wish I still looked like some of yāall,ā Country Music Hall of Famer joked.
Jackson addressed his fans a lot throughout the night, sharing the stories behind some of his songs and encouraging people to have a good time. But most of all, he wanted those in attendance to know how much he appreciates them.
Because this tour might be his last chance to do so ā at least in person.
Is this really Alan Jacksonās farewell tour?
Ozzy Osbourne went on his āNo More Toursā run in 1992, and embarked on a āNo More Tours 2ā³ run in 2018. The following year, Kiss went on an āEnd of the Roadā world tour ā nearly 20 years after its farewell tour. In 1980, Don Henley said āhell would freeze overā before the Eagles toured again, and 14 years later, the band kicked off its tour … appropriately titled āHell Freezes Over.ā
But Jacksonās farewell tour, titled āLast Call: One More for the Road,ā doesnāt appear to be a marketing gimmick.
Everything Alan Jackson Has Said About His Battle With Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
Country superstarĀ Alan JacksonĀ has been battling Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease for more than a decade, but he didnātĀ go public with his diagnosisĀ until September 2021.

āI have this neuropathy and neurological disease,ā the Country Music Hall of Fame member explainedĀ during aĀ TodayĀ show interviewĀ at the time. āItās genetic that I inherited from my daddy. ⦠Thereās no cure for it, but itās been affecting me for years. And itās getting more and more obvious.ā
Abbreviated as CMT, Charcot-Marie-Tooth is a hereditary disorder that affects the nervous system, causing progressive loss of muscle tissue and loss of sensation in the arms and legs. Patients may also experience trouble balancing and difficulty walking.
As Jackson explained during hisĀ TodayĀ appearance, the disease doesnāt shorten life expectancy, but it can make movement extremely difficult ā especially for a person used to performing on stage night after night.
āIāve been reluctant to talk about this publicly and to my fans,ā the āChattahoocheeā singer explained when revealing his battle with the disorder, which also affected his grandmother and sister. āItās called CMT, ironically enough, because CMT was a big part of my career.ā
The Grammy winner released his debut album,Ā Here in the Real World, in 1990, eventually becoming one of the most successful country stars of all time. He has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and has been named the Country Music Associationās Entertainer of the Year three times.
Throughout his career,Ā heās had wifeĀ Denise JacksonĀ by his side. The duo,Ā who were high school sweethearts, tied the knot in 1979 and later welcomed three daughters: Mattie (born in 1990), Ali (born in 1993) and Dani (born in 1997).
The coupleĀ briefly separated in 1998, but after their reconciliation, Denise wrote a 2007 memoir about their romance titledĀ Itās All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life. Since his diagnosis, the author has been one of her husbandās biggest supporters.
āWhen Iām down, he lifts me up. When heās down, I try to lift him up,ā Denise toldĀ Jenna Bush HagerĀ in September 2021. āThe happy side of that is weāve had a fairy tale life.ā
After opening up about his health battle, Alan announced the Last Call Tour, but he emphasized that he didnāt want to refer to it as a farewell tour. Heās also continued to support his colleagues in the music industry, playing at aĀ Loretta LynnĀ tribute concert at the Grand Ole Opry in October 2022. The following month, he accepted theĀ Willie NelsonĀ Lifetime Achievement Award atĀ the CMA Awards.
During his speech, heĀ thanked Denise for her unwavering supportĀ over the years. āWe started out as teenagers, and sheās hung in there and rode this roller-coaster ride with me for 40-something years now,ā he said. āIām probably not always the easiest person to love, but sheās hung in there and helped me through hard times, and weāve shared great times. The good and the bad, the happy and the sad. Weāve survived a lot.ā
Keep scrolling for everything Alan has said about his battle with CMT:
Country superstarĀ Alan JacksonĀ has been battling Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease for more than a decade, but he didnātĀ go public with his diagnosisĀ until September 2021.
āI have this neuropathy and neurological disease,ā the Country Music Hall of Fame member explainedĀ during aĀ TodayĀ show interviewĀ at the time. āItās genetic that I inherited from my daddy. ⦠Thereās no cure for it, but itās been affecting me for years. And itās getting more and more obvious.ā
Abbreviated as CMT, Charcot-Marie-Tooth is a hereditary disorder that affects the nervous system, causing progressive loss of muscle tissue and loss of sensation in the arms and legs. Patients may also experience trouble balancing and difficulty walking.

As Jackson explained during hisĀ TodayĀ appearance, the disease doesnāt shorten life expectancy, but it can make movement extremely difficult ā especially for a person used to performing on stage night after night.
āIāve been reluctant to talk about this publicly and to my fans,ā the āChattahoocheeā singer explained when revealing his battle with the disorder, which also affected his grandmother and sister. āItās called CMT, ironically enough, because CMT was a big part of my career.ā
The Grammy winner released his debut album,Ā Here in the Real World, in 1990, eventually becoming one of the most successful country stars of all time. He has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and has been named the Country Music Associationās Entertainer of the Year three times.
Throughout his career,Ā heās had wifeĀ Denise JacksonĀ by his side. The duo,Ā who were high school sweethearts, tied the knot in 1979 and later welcomed three daughters: Mattie (born in 1990), Ali (born in 1993) and Dani (born in 1997).

The coupleĀ briefly separated in 1998, but after their reconciliation, Denise wrote a 2007 memoir about their romance titledĀ Itās All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life. Since his diagnosis, the author has been one of her husbandās biggest supporters.
āWhen Iām down, he lifts me up. When heās down, I try to lift him up,ā Denise toldĀ Jenna Bush HagerĀ in September 2021. āThe happy side of that is weāve had a fairy tale life.ā
After opening up about his health battle, Alan announced the Last Call Tour, but he emphasized that he didnāt want to refer to it as a farewell tour. Heās also continued to support his colleagues in the music industry, playing at aĀ Loretta LynnĀ tribute concert at the Grand Ole Opry in October 2022. The following month, he accepted theĀ Willie NelsonĀ Lifetime Achievement Award atĀ the CMA Awards.
During his speech, heĀ thanked Denise for her unwavering supportĀ over the years. āWe started out as teenagers, and sheās hung in there and rode this roller-coaster ride with me for 40-something years now,ā he said. āIām probably not always the easiest person to love, but sheās hung in there and helped me through hard times, and weāve shared great times. The good and the bad, the happy and the sad. Weāve survived a lot.ā
Keep scrolling for everything Alan has said about his battle with CMT:
How It Affects Him
āThereās no cure for it, but itās been affecting me for years,ā the āGone Countryā crooner explained in a September 2021 interview on theĀ TodayĀ show. āAnd itās getting more and more obvious. And I know Iām stumbling around on stage. And now Iām having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone, and so I just feel very uncomfortable.ā The American Music Award winner added: āItās not going to kill me. Itās not deadly. But itās related [to] muscular dystrophy and Parkinsonās disease.ā
Planning for the Future
After revealing his diagnosis, Alan said he planned to continue touring, but he didnāt want to call it a āfarewellā outing. āI never wanted to do the big retirement tour, like people do, then take a year off and then come back,ā he told Hager in September 2021. āI think thatās kinda cheesy. And Iām not saying I wonāt be able to tour. Iāll try to do as much as I can.ā
His Not-Farewell Tour
āIāve always admired my heroes like George Jones, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn and Charley Pride, who just played as much as they wanted to, as long as they could,ā Alan said in a statement in March 2022 after announcing his Last Call Tour. āIāve always thought Iād like to do that, and Iād like to as long as my health will allow. Iāll try to do as much as I can, but if Iām cominā your way, come see me.ā
Pushing Forward
After postponing two tour dates in October 2022, the āLittle Bittyā singer assured fans that he was doing his best to continue playing shows. āI hoped Iād be able to be there,ā he said in a statement at the time. āI hate to disappoint my fans. I tried as much as I could to play this show at this time.ā