56-year-old Kimberly Schlapman has spent decades in the spotlight as one-fourth of the Grammy-winning country music group Little Big Town, alongside Karen Fairchild, Philip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook. While the band continues to tour and release new music, Schlapman is also navigating a deeply personal challenge behind the scenes.
Recently, the country star opened up about her mother’s long battle with Parkinson’s disease, revealing that the condition has progressed to the point that 24-hour care is now required. Kimberly Schlapman has been candid about the realities of caregiving, balancing family responsibilities with her music career, and raising awareness for others facing similar circumstances.
Read on to learn more about what Schlapman shared about her mother’s health journey and the role family continues to play in her life.
Kimberly Schlapman Says Her Mother’s Parkinson’s Disease Now Requires 24-Hour Care
Schlapman opened up about her mother’s condition to USA Today, sharing, “No one in our family, to our knowledge, has had Parkinson’s before.”
The country music star went on to explain that she and her family had very little understanding of the disease and what the future would look like for her mother when she was first diagnosed two decades ago.
The Little Big Town singer shared, “We didn’t know enough about the disease to know where we were headed. But now, I mean, it’s 24-hour care.”
While the singer admitted it’s been tough juggling her career, being a mother, and caring for her own mother, she also noted, “I just wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re very, very involved in her care and with her doctors, and there’s one of us at every appointment she has.”
The country singer also recently moved her family to be closer to her mother, making it easier to coordinate with her mother’s care team.
Schlapman hopes to raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease and help both patients and caregivers build stronger support systems. She explained, “And the more we talk about it, the better off our loved ones are going to be because their care is going to be better, and people are going to understand it more. I want people to know they’re not alone in this disease. Whether you have the disease or your loved one has it, there’s so much to advocate for.”
Kimberly Schlapman Opens Up About Balancing Music, Motherhood, And Caregiving
Kimberly Schlapman also opened up about the balancing act required to care for her mother while maintaining her busy career. For example, the country singer performed at midnight on May 16, 2026, with fellow country icon and former “American Idol” judge Keith Urban. The following night, she met up with her band at the ACM Awards to debut their new song. Then, she raced back home to take her mom to a neurology appointment the next morning.
The Little Big Town singer opened up to EntertainmentNow about this whirlwind of a weekend, noting, “It’s that part of life that so much of my generation finds themselves in. We’re taking care of the people who have taken care of us our whole lives. So yeah, I got home from Vegas last night at 10:30, and then I left super early this morning to take my mother to her appointment.”
The singer’s experience reflects a reality many adults face as they balance careers, raising children, and caring for aging parents. For Schlapman, that often means shifting seamlessly between life on the road with Little Big Town and helping coordinate her mother’s medical care, responsibilities she has made clear she considers equally important.
Kimberly Schlapman Celebrated Her Mother And Family On Mother’s Day
On Mother’s Day, Schlapman took to Instagram to celebrate both her mother and her role as a mom. The country star posted a series of photos with the caption, “I love having this amazing woman as my mama, and I love being mama to these precious girls! They inspire me every day. Happy Mother’s Day!”
Fans quickly weighed in. One wrote, “You are an amazing woman! Your mom brought you up right….your girls are so blessed to have you and your mom!”
Another commented, “Happy Mother’s Day, Kimberly & Mrs. Bramlett,” recognizing 77-year-old Barbara Bramlett as a former elementary school teacher.
Family has long been at the center of Schlapman’s life. In addition to helping care for her mother, she is also a devoted wife and mother. Kimberly married her husband, Stephen Schlapman, in November 2006. At the time, she was a widow, with her first husband, Steven Roads, having passed away from a heart attack in April 2005.
Before tying the knot, Kimberly already had gotten to know her second husband quite well, as he had previously worked as Little Big Town’s stage manager. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Daisy Pearl Schlapman, in July 2007. They adopted their second daughter, Dolly Grace Schlapman, in 2016.
As Schlapman continues balancing life as a performer, wife, mother, and caregiver, she remains committed to supporting her own family while raising awareness about Parkinson’s disease. By sharing her mother’s journey publicly, the Little Big Town singer hopes to help other families facing similar challenges feel less alone and more empowered to advocate for their loved ones.
