What Exactly Is Going on With Alan Jackson? His Health Status Explained

Country music lovers know all about Alan Jackson’s incredible career, which includes a whopping 16 studio album releases. Those albums aren’t even counting his three greatest hits records, two Christmas albums, and two gospel albums! This all just goes to show he knows what he’s doing in the music industry.

Alan's life work was just honored at the 2022 CMAs, giving him the recognition that he deserves on country music's biggest night. With that aside, his amazing music is not the reason he's trending; many fans aren't aware of the degenerative illness he’s facing. Here’s what you should know.

Alan has been keeping his illness on the low for years, but it’s something he’s been dealing with behind the scenes for quite some time. In a 2021 interview with Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY, he revealed that he’s suffering from a degenerative nerve condition called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. It’s a genetic disease he inherited from his father.

The disease is neurological, which means it directly affects the nervous system consisting of the brain, spinal cord, sensory organs, and every nerve in the body. Fortunately, the disease is not deadly — but it does still have a few potentially life-altering symptoms.

When discussing his health condition, Alan revealed, “There’s no cure for it, but it’s been affecting me for years. And it’s getting more and more obvious. And I know I’m stumbling around on stage. And now I’m having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone, so I just feel very uncomfortable.” Now that his illness is starting to become a bit more obvious during his performances, he likely felt this was a good time to let his fans know what he’s been going through.

Going on tour while dealing with health issues can’t be easy for anyone. Music tours consist of a lot of travel, packing, uncomfortable sleeping situations, nightly performing, and more. It’s not ideal for someone facing something as serious as Alan it; he appears to be willing to give it his best shot, though.

Addressing fan concerns that he was done with live performance, Alan explained to Jenna, “I’m not saying I won’t be able to tour. I’ll try to do as much as I can." In the time since his diagnosis, Alan has had to postpone several shows due to his health. Nonetheless, it’s obvious that the country music icon, who just earned a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 CMAs, isn’t going to throw in the towel on his life’s passion anytime soon.

Since the late ‘80s to the early ‘90s, Alan Jackson has been topping the charts. His debut single “Blue Blooded Woman" put him on the map, even though it didn’t reach the Top 40 Hot Country Songs chart at the time of its release. By the early 2000s, he solidified himself as a household name for many country fans.

Songs like “Remember When," “Where I Come From," and “Small Town Southern Man" are just a few of his hits that are totally unforgettable. His poetic country music style has gained him so much respect and so many devoted fans. We wish him the best as he continues to deal with his illness, and we hope he gets to continue performing for many years to come.