In 2021, Jackson Shared On TODAY That He Has Been Battling Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) Syndrome, A Hereditary Degenerative Nerve Condition.
“I have this neuropathy and neurological disease,” Jackson told TODAY. “It’s genetic that I inherited from my daddy…There’s no cure for it, but it’s been affecting me for years, and it’s getting more and more obvious.
“It’s not going to kill me. It’s not deadly,” Jackson added. “But it’s related to muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s disease.”
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About halfway through Jackson’s Dallas concert, he paused to “violently clear his throat” before apologizing to the crowd.
“I’m not singing 100%. I’m dealing with some stuff, but I’m going to give you all I got.”
It’s unclear if the singer was referring to the affects of CMT or lingering affects of COVID. Jackson canceled a concert appearance in Kansas City on August 27 after testing positive for COVID.
But, fans in attendance didn’t seem to notice that the “Chattahoochee” singer wasn’t feeling up to par. Jackson powered through a 90-minute, 22-song set, showing off the smooth vocals that made him one of the biggest country stars of the 1990s.
The only indication that Alan Jackson isn’t in the same physical condition as he was in his prime was a brace bolted to the stage that the singer could lean against for support.