COUNTRY legend Alan Jackson is preparing to take the stage one final time – but behind his emotional farewell has been a grueling 15-year battle with a degenerative nerve disease that has changed his life.
The music icon was diagnosed with Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease in 2011, but kept it private for a decade before publicly revealing the condition in 2021.
The hereditary disorder causes nerve damage, mostly in the arms and legs, leading to muscle weakness, loss of sensation, balance problems, and difficulty walking.
While it’s not typically considered fatal, it has led to deaths – including 911: Nashville actress Isabelle Tate, who passed away from the disease in 2025.
Behind Alan’s final curtain call is a brutal health battle that has quietly followed him for more than 15 years.
“It’s been affecting me for years,” he said in 2021 while first revealing the diagnosis on the Today Show.
“And it’s getting more and more obvious. I know I’m not going to be able to tour like I have.”
Alan, 67, also revealed the diagnosis runs in his family, explaining: “I have this neuropathy and neurological disease. It’s genetic that I inherited from my daddy.”
The disease affects balance, coordination, and muscle control – making even simple movement more difficult as it progresses.
For a performer known for commanding massive stages and playing live instruments, the condition has made touring especially challenging.
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Alan has opened up about his struggles, saying: “I know I’m stumbling around on stage. And now I’m having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone.”
Over the years, Alan has continued performing despite worsening symptoms, though he acknowledged the disease has forced him to adjust.
“I don’t feel comfortable,” he said of performing while navigating the disorder. “It’s going to disable me eventually.”
While Charcot-Marie-Tooth does not always directly impact life expectancy, there is no cure, according to the Mayo Clinic.
What is Charcot–Marie–Tooth Disease?
Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (often shortened to CMT) is a group of inherited disorders that damage the peripheral nerves, which are the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord that control movement and sensation. The condition causes the nerves to send weaker signals to muscles, which can lead to muscle weakness, shrinking of muscles, and loss of feeling, especially in the feet, legs, hands, and arms.
Early warning signs can include:
- Frequent tripping or clumsiness
- Difficulty balancing
- Foot deformities such as high arches or hammertoes
- Weakness in the legs or hands
- Numbness or tingling
- A diagnosis usually comes after a neurological exam, family history review, nerve conduction studies, genetic testing, and sometimes electromyography (EMG).
- There is no cure for CMT, and the condition is progressive – meaning symptoms can worsen over time. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and maintaining mobility through physical therapy, occupational therapy, braces, orthopedic devices, pain management, and in some cases surgery.
- The disease is not typically fatal and most people live a normal lifespan, but it can significantly impact mobility, independence, and quality of life as it advances. Because it is genetic, family members may also carry or develop the condition, which is how Alan Jackson said he inherited it from his father.
- CMT is one of the most common inherited neurological disorders, affecting about 1 in 2,500 people worldwide.
- Symptoms often begin in adolescence or early adulthood, but some people, like Alan Jackson, may not be diagnosed until later in life when symptoms become more noticeable.
Treatment typically focuses on managing symptoms through physical therapy, braces, pain management, and mobility support.
Still, Alan said he has refused to let the diagnosis define him, pushing through multiple tours and live shows while accepting that the end of his road on stage would come in the nearer future.
Now, the singer is set for his final full-length concert, Last Call: One More for the Road – The Finale, on June 27 at Nissan Stadium.
The massive send-off will bring Alan back to Nashville – the city where his career first took off – and feature an all-star lineup including Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town, Thomas Rhett, Jake Owen, Jon Pardi, and Lee Ann Womack.
The sold-out show will begin in the early evening and rock on all night, with more than 50,000 fans expected in attendance.
And for those who can’t make it in person, the historic farewell will be filmed for an NBC primetime special titled Alan Jackson: The Last Show, before streaming the following day on Peacock.
For the country crooner, it’s a full-circle moment – and the closing chapter of one of music’s most enduring careers.
The Georgia native has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, with a staggering 35 Number 1 hits and 50 Top 10 singles to his name.
He’s won two Grammy Awards, 16 CMA Awards, 17 ACM Awards, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2017.
The singer is also a member of the Grand Ole Opry and has long been praised for helping preserve traditional country music through hits like Chattahoochee, Livin’ on Love, Remember When, and Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).
Alan has long credited his family as the backbone of his decades-long career.
He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Denise Jackson, since 1979 after the pair met as teenagers in their hometown of Newnan, Georgia.
Denise famously helped launch his music career after running into country legend Glen Campbell on a flight and passing along Alan’s demo – a moment that helped change their lives forever.
Together, Alan and Denise share three daughters: Mattie Jackson Smith, Alexandra Jane Bradshaw, and Dani Grace Jackson.