Country music superstar Alan Jackson made an announcement on Saturday that is breaking the hearts of fans all across the United States and the world. Jackson performed a show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, over the weekend that marked the end of his most recent tour.
It was at this show that Jackson concluded a 30-year career in the music industry, officially hanging up his guitar. Jackson, 66, first announced he would be retiring from live performances in 2024. The singer has been suffering from major health issues after being diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
CMT is a degenerative nerve condition that negatively affects motor skills, according to The Daily Caller. He was first diagnosed with the illness in 2011.
The curtains closed on his touring career after the last stop on h is “Last Call: One More for the Road Tour.”
“Y’all may have heard that I’m kinda winding down. In fact, this is my last roadshow of my career,” Jackson said to the crowd in a clip from the show.
“Y’all gonna make me tear up out here,” the superstar said as he tried to choke back tears.
“I will say that this is my last road show out here, but we’re planning on doing a big finale show in Nashville next summer sometime. I just felt like I had to end it all where it all started, and that’s in Nashville, Tennessee. But this is the last one out on the road for me,” Jackson continued.
Jackson then told the crowd, “It’s been a long, sweet ride. It started 40 years ago this September. My wife and I drove to Nashville with an ol’ U-Haul trailer, and chased this dream. It’s been a crazy ride.”
The country sensation previously revealed the illness is genetic, saying he inherited it from his father. He’s also admitted to having trouble maintaining his balance and controlling movements during live performances.
Jackson explained that the illness is not fatal or life threatening, but it was “going to disable me eventually.”
“I just wanted the fans and the public to know if they’ve come to see me in the last few years or if they come to see me in the future if I play anymore, what’s going on. I don’t want them to think I’m drunk onstage because I’m having problems with mobility and balance,” he continued.
“This is not a condition that I would be complaining about typically, but it is going to affect me performance-wise onstage, and I don’t know how much I’ll continue to tour,” he added during a 2021 appearance on the Today show.
While having a slew of hits during his lengthy three-decade career in music, a few of his most popular tunes are “Murder on Music Row,” “Little Bitty,” “I’ll Try,” “Pop a Top,” “I’ll Go on Loving You,” “Wanted,” “Country Boy,” and “I’d Love You All Over Again.”
During the final stop on the tour, Jackson said, “I lived the American dream for sure. So blessed.”
