Alan Jackson health status explained: How is his battle with Charcot-Marie-Tooth going?

Alan Jackson, the 64-year-old Country superstar, has been suffering from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease for more than a decade, but it was in September 2021 that fans got to know about Jackson’s health and his diagnosis.

Despite his diagnosis, though, Jackson continues to perform to the best of his abilities and wishes to sing and tour more. In an interview in 2021, the superstar said:

"I have this neuropathy and neurological disease. 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."

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What is wrong with Alan Jackson?

Jackson opened up about his diagnosis in 2021. (Photo via Instagram/officialalanjackson)

Here’s everything about Alan Jackson’s battle with Charcot-Marie-Tooth and rumors about his death.

In November 2022, there were rumors that the singer was dead, following which social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook flooded with questions like 'has Alan Jackson died?'

Later, it was revealed that the news was fake, and that the American singer and songwriter was alive and quite active on social media.

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What disease does Alan Jackson have?

The two-time Grammy award winner is battling Charcot-Marie-Tooth since more than a decade. In an interview in 2021, the singer said:

"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."

Despite starting to experience the negative effects of Charcot-Marie-Tooth, the Livin’ on love singer revealed that he has absolutely no plans to retire.

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What is Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder?

It's a degenerative neurological disease that causes nerve damage. It's a group of inherited disorders that mostly affects the legs and arms, and results in weaker and smaller muscles. Some people might also experience difficulty walking and loss of sensation and loss of muscle contractions, too.

Symptoms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth appears in early adulthood, but they can also develop anytime during midlife. If not treated at the right time, the symptoms can spread from the legs to arms and hands, but it can vary from person to person and depends on the severity of the condition.

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What are the major symptoms of Charcot-Marie-tooth?

Symptoms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth includes weakness in the feet, ankles and legs. (Photo via Pexels/Kindel Media)

Major signs and symptoms include:

• weakness in the feet, ankles and legs
• high foot arches
• reduced mobility in the legs
• loss of muscle in the feet and legs
• hammertoes
• difficulty moving the foot at the ankle level
• falling or tripping frequently
• reduced sensation in the feet and legs

The major cause of Charcot-Marie-Tooth is genetics and typically develops when there are mutations in the genes that severely affect the nerves in body parts like arms, hands, legs and feet.

While the disease is mainly caused due to genes, factors like diabetes and certain medications such as marqibo (chemotherapy drugs vincristine) and others can also be responsible.

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How is Alan Jackson doing now?

In an interview with his daughter, Mattie Jackson, on her podcast “In Joy Life with Mattie Jackson”, the country singer said that he's hoping to release new music. Jackson said:

"Yes. I would hope so. I mean, I may not have toured much, but, like I said, the creative part jumps out every now and then."

When asked about if there’s another album forthcoming, Alan Jackson said:

"I’m always scribbling down ideas and thinking about melodies, and I feel like there’ll be some more music to come, yes."

Although the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award winner has been battling health challenges for a long time, he remains in good health and is working on releasing more music very soon.