Alan Jackson has revealed he is living for a decade with a degenerative nerve condition that has now made it challenging to walk.
“I’ve been reluctant to talk about this publicly and to my fans,” the 62-year-old said in an interview with Today that aired on Tuesday.
Jackson said he inherited Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease from his father. “There’s no cure for it, but it’s been affecting me for years,” he explained, “and it’s getting more and more obvious and I know I’m stumbling around on stage. And now I’m having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone, and so I just feel very uncomfortable.”
Jackson said he feels relieved to be sharing his condition with fans because he was starting to become self-conscious of “stumbling around” on stage.
“If anybody’s curious why I don’t walk right, that’s why.”
The singer said he has no plan to retire from touring just yet. “I’ll try to do as much as I can,” he said.