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.
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.
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.
