In a heartfelt interview on NBC’s Today show in September 2021, country music legend Alan Jackson revealed that he has been living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a hereditary neurological disorder affecting his mobility and balance. Diagnosed over a decade ago, Jackson shared that the condition has progressively impacted his ability to walk and perform on stage, leading him to disclose his health status to fans.
CMT is a genetic disorder that affects the peripheral nerves, leading to muscle weakness, sensory loss, and balance issues. While not life-threatening, it is progressive and currently has no cure. Jackson emphasized that despite the challenges, he remains committed to his music career and continues to perform, though he acknowledged that the disease has made touring more difficult.
In May 2025, Jackson made an emotional return to the stage at the 60th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, where he performed his 2003 hit “Remember When” and received the inaugural Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award. During his acceptance speech, he expressed gratitude to his family, especially his wife Denise, for their unwavering support throughout his career and health struggles.
Jackson also shared that CMT runs in his family, with his father, paternal grandmother, and older sister also having been diagnosed with the disease. He emphasized that while it was not fatal, it would eventually disable him. “It’s not going to kill me, it’s not deadly… it’s just going to disable me eventually,” he clarified. His openness about his condition helped dispel any misconceptions fans might have had about his health, particularly about his onstage struggles, which could have been mistaken for intoxication. “I don’t want them to think I’m drunk onstage because I’m having problems with mobility and balance,” Jackson explained.
Despite the physical challenges, Jackson expressed relief at being open about his diagnosis, noting that it alleviated some of the self-consciousness he had been feeling while performing. “In some ways, it’s a relief because I was starting to get so self-conscious up there, about stumbling around,” he said, adding that it felt good to be transparent about his condition.