Even country music superstars have to take their parents to doctors’ appointments. For Kimberly Schlapman, one-quarter of the Grammy-winning group Little Big Town, shifting gears from rocking out to helping out has become the norm, given that her mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease 21 years ago.
The dichotomy between Schlapman’s glamorous country star life and her crazy-busy mom-and-daughter life was especially evident last weekend. The powerhouse singer went from performing at midnight on May 16, 2026, with fellow country icon and former “American Idol” judge Keith Urban, to debuting her band’s newest song at the ACM Awards the next night, and then racing home to South Carolina to take her mom to a neurology appointment.
“It’s that part of life that so much of my generation finds themselves in,” Schlapman told EntertainmentNow. “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.”
Kimberly Schlapman Encourages Caregivers & Patients to ‘Speak Up’
Schlapman’s life may be a bit more sparklier than most, with weekly trips to Nashville and frequent invitations to hop on stage with old friends like Urban, but the singer has opened up about her family’s story for a reason. She hopes fans realize how much she can relate to so many of them who are also caring for an aging parent or navigating the complexities of Parkinson’s.
As Schlapman’s mom began to experience more challenging symptoms in recent years, the country star moved with her husband and kids back home to South Carolina so she could help her siblings with caregiving duties, especially now that her mom requires 24-hour care.
“Thank God I could (move),” she told EntertainmentNow. “This disease is a family disease. We advocate for her, and we always have a family member at her appointments. She can speak for herself, but there are things we notice that maybe she hasn’t noticed about herself.”
“We know how incredibly important it is to advocate for her and mention every single thing, every single change, every single new challenge, and how important it is to make her care plan just perfect for her,” she said.
Schlapman has partnered with pharmaceutical company AbbVie to promote its advocacy campaign for patients and caregivers, called Changing the Tune of Parkinson’s Disease. On Memorial Day, she’ll speak at the 7th annual World Parkinson Congress to patients, caregivers, and doctors.
“I just want to be a part of encouraging people and empowering people (to know) that if you’re living with a disease, speak up,” she said. “There’s just not a symptom that’s too small to mention, and if you love someone with (Parkinson’s), the uniqueness of how this hits, the way this disease hits every individual, is crazy, so it’s really important to speak up.”
Kimberly Schlapman Says Newest Songs Have Special Meaning
Little Big Town joined Urban for a late-night surprise at the ACM Awards’ Beach Bash to perform a cover of “Magnet & Steel,” a collaboration that also appears on his upcoming yacht rock-themed album of duets on June 12.
Recalling being asked to perform the song live with Urban over the weekend, she told EntertainmentNow, “They were like, ‘You want to sing with Keith Urban at midnight?’ We were like, “Keith Urban? (We wouldn’t do that) for everyone, but for Keith Urban? Yes!”
“He took us on our very first arena tour,” Schlapman noted. “We opened up for back in 2005, and literally, after our set every night, we went out to the seats to watch him. It was like an education. He is such a phenomenal entertainer, and we watched him every night, and we learned how to entertain because we watched him.”
Meanwhile, Little Big Town performed their newest song, “Hey There Sunshine,” at the ACM Awards on May 17 — the band’s first new song in two years. According to a release, the song is about the “moment when healing begins” following a “season of emotional heaviness.”
“It’s just a song of hope and uplifting, and we’ve gotten so many messages from people,” Schlapman said. “We got a message yesterday from a mama who lost her 21-year-old two years ago to a drunk driver, and she said, ‘This song is my anthem right now, and it’s lifting me up.’ That’s why we make music.”
And of course, the song holds special meaning for Schlapman as she thinks about her mom’s endurance, beaming as she said, “Watching her with her challenges, she continues to find the sunshine, and she is the sunshine. She’s such an inspiration.”
Sending lots of love,hugs and blessings for you and your family. I love your group so much. Y’all always sing such inspirational songs. 🙏🙏💖💖