Alan Jackson officially brought his touring career to a close Saturday night with an emotional farewell concert in Nashville, Tennessee.
The country music icon performed “Last Call: One More for the Road — The Finale” at Nissan Stadium, ending a touring career that spanned more than four decades. The celebration featured performances by many of today’s biggest country stars, who honored the singer with renditions of his biggest hits.
The farewell came several years after Jackson publicly revealed he had been living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a progressive neurological disorder that he kept private for nearly a decade.
Alan Jackson Hid His Diagnosis for Nearly 10 Years
Jackson first shared his diagnosis during a 2021 appearance on the “Today Show,” revealing that he had actually been diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in 2011.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a group of inherited disorders that damage the nerves. The condition can cause muscle weakness, balance problems, difficulty walking and loss of feeling in the legs and feet.
Jackson said he inherited the disease from his father.
“It’s been affecting me for years,” Jackson said during the interview. “And it’s getting more and more obvious. I know I’m not going to be able to tour like I have.”
He also spoke candidly about how the disease had begun affecting his performances.
“I know I’m stumbling around on stage. And now I’m having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone,” he said.
Although Jackson continued touring after revealing his diagnosis, he admitted the condition was making live performances increasingly difficult.
“I don’t feel comfortable,” he said. “It’s going to disable me eventually.”
The Georgia native, whose career began in the 1980s before exploding during country music’s boom in the 1990s, has sold more than 60 million records throughout his career.
Country Music Stars Celebrate Alan Jackson’s Legacy
Saturday night’s farewell concert became a tribute to Jackson’s influence on country music.
The first portion of the show featured performances from artists who credited Jackson with helping shape their careers.
Carrie Underwood performed “Everything I Love” and shared that Jackson was the first artist she ever saw in concert.
She recalled attending his show at the Tulsa State Fair in 1994.
Thomas Rhett performed “Small Town Southern Man,” while Miranda Lambert took the stage with “Dallas.”
Lainey Wilson energized the crowd with “Tall, Tall Trees.”
Luke Combs admitted choosing just one Jackson song wasn’t easy before performing “Hard Hat and a Hammer.”
“It’s almost impossible to pick a favorite Alan Jackson song … but I had to try,” Combs told the audience.
Eric Church delivered one of the evening’s most stripped-down performances, singing “Someday” accompanied only by an acoustic guitar.
The guest performers were backed by Jackson’s longtime band throughout much of the evening.
The farewell concert also included appearances from Luke Bryan, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Little Big Town, Jake Owen, Jon Pardi, and Lee Ann Womack.
