News of Alan Jackson hospitalization came as a shock to the world. Some had even rumored him to be dead before he revealed what was wrong with him. But an Instagram post of the legend incited more worry among his fans.
As seen in the picture, the Grammy-winning country singer appears unrecognizable. Here’s a look at the nature of Alan Jackson’s illness and current state.
A Little About Alan Jackson
Country music lovers know all about Alan Jackson’s incredible career, which includes a whopping 16 studio album releases. Those albums aren’t counting his three greatest hits records, two Christmas albums, and two gospel albums! This all shows he knows what he’s doing in the music industry.
Alan’s life work was honored at the 2022 CMAs, giving him the recognition he deserves on country music’s biggest night. He was the 2022 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. He is also a three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Award recipient (1995, 2002, 2003) and a two-time Grammy winner.
But recently, his amazing music has not been why he’s trending. Fans learned he had been diagnosed with a degenerative disease.
Alan Jackson Hospitalization Led to a Diagnosis
The country singer was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth. According to the Hopkins Medicine website, the illness is a hereditary nerve abnormality that produces anomalies in the nerves that supply the feet, legs, hands, and arms. It is often regarded as the most prevalent genetic neuromuscular condition. Patients may also experience trouble balancing and difficulty walking.
Mutations in genes that support or generate proteins involved in the construction and function of either the peripheral nerve axon or the myelin sheath are the most prevalent cause of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
Researchers are now studying many possible medicines that might cure this condition someday. Potential remedies include gene therapy, treatments, and in-vitro procedures that might help prevent Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease from being passed down to future generations.
Exercise, on the other hand, has the potential to increase functional capacity, independence, and quality of life in people with CMT. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, the condition affects around 126,000 people in the United States and over 2.6 million globally.
What Do We Know From Jackson About His Hospitalization?
Country superstar Alan Jackson has been battling Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease for over a decade, but he didn’t go public with his diagnosis until September 2021.
“I have this neuropathy and neurological disease,” the Country Music Hall of Fame member explained during a TODAY interview. “It’s genetic that I inherited from my daddy. … There’s no cure, but it’s been affecting me for years. And it’s getting more and more obvious.”
As Jackson explained during his TODAY appearance, the disease doesn’t shorten life expectancy. Still, it can make movement extremely difficult — especially for a person used to performing on stage night after night.
“I’ve been reluctant to talk about this publicly and to my fans,” the “Chattahoochee” singer explained when revealing his battle with the disorder. He added, “It’s called CMT, ironically enough, because CMT was a big part of my career.”
Alan’s grandmother and sister also suffered from the illness.
What’s Next for Alan Jackson?
After revealing his diagnosis, Alan said he planned to continue touring but didn’t want to call it a “farewell” outing. “I never wanted to do the big retirement tour, as people do, then take a year off and then come back,” he told Jenna Bush Hager in September 2021. “I think that’s kinda cheesy. And I’m not saying I won’t be able to tour. I’ll try to do as much as I can.”
“I’ve always admired my heroes like George Jones, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, and Charley Pride, who just play as much as they wanted to, as long as they could,” Alan Jackson said in a statement in March 2022 after announcing his Last Call Tour. “I’ve always thought I’d like to do that, and I’d like to as long as my health will allow. I’ll try to do as much as possible, but if coming our way, come see me.”
The legendary Honky Tonk man intends to keep pushing forward after postponing two tour dates in October 2022. He has assured fans that he was doing his best to continue playing shows. “I hoped I’d be able to be there,” he said in a statement at the time. “I hate to disappoint my fans, and I tried as much as I could to play this show at this time.”
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