Alan Jackson, the beloved voice behind some of country music’s most timeless songs, is facing a difficult turn in his long-standing health battle. In 2021, the legendary artist revealed to the world that he had been quietly living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a progressive neurological disorder that affects the nerves and muscles in the arms and legs, leading to chronic issues with balance, mobility, and coordination.
While he was diagnosed nearly a decade earlier, Alan had kept it private until the symptoms began to visibly impact his ability to perform. Speaking honestly during an appearance on NBC’s Today show, he said:
“I have this neuropathy and neurological disease. It’s genetic—I inherited it 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.”
For fans, it was a sobering revelation. The same man who once strode confidently across the stage, captivating sold-out crowds with his warm baritone and quiet charisma, now admits to stumbling onstage and struggling to maintain balance, even behind the microphone.
“I just feel very uncomfortable,” he shared, with humility and vulnerability.
Yet even as his physical strength begins to falter, Alan’s emotional courage has never wavered. And neither has the unwavering love of his wife, Denise Jackson — his partner through life’s triumphs and trials, including a period of separation and healing in the late 1990s. Through it all, Denise has remained by his side with grace, grounding him through seasons of uncertainty.
“When I’m down, he lifts me up. When he’s down, I try to lift him up,” she reflected softly in a past interview.
That kind of love — patient, tested, enduring — is now more important than ever. As Alan’s condition slowly progresses, his spirit may not be revived by medicine, but it can be lifted by companionship, faith, music, and the outpouring of love from a fanbase that has followed him for over four decades.
Though Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease has no cure, Alan Jackson’s decision to speak openly about his journey has brought comfort to countless people living with invisible or degenerative illnesses. His legacy now extends beyond platinum albums and No. 1 hits — it is one of resilience, honesty, and the quiet bravery it takes to keep going when the body begins to fail.
In the end, the man who once sang “Remember When” is giving us a new memory — one of a legend facing his hardest chapter not with fear, but with faith, family, and dignity.
And that, too, is country music at its most powerful.