Alan Jackson's CMT: Why He Ended His Touring Career

Alan Jackson, 67, completed the final full-length concert of his touring career at Nashville's Nissan Stadium on June 27, 2026, bringing more than three decades of road performances to a close after years of performing with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, an inherited nerve condition that progressively affects movement and balance.

What Is Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, commonly abbreviated as CMT, is a genetic disorder that damages the peripheral nervous system: the network of nerves running from the spinal cord to the muscles and skin of the arms and legs. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, CMT is the most common inherited neuropathy and results in progressive muscle weakness, sensory loss, and impaired coordination.

Symptoms typically start in the feet and lower legs before spreading upward. Muscle atrophy, frequent tripping, foot deformities such as high arches, and difficulty maintaining balance are all documented effects. In rare cases, the condition can reach the muscles that control breathing. The Mayo Clinic notes that CMT most often progresses slowly and most often does not shorten life expectancy, though the range of severity varies considerably between individuals.

There is no cure. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms through physical and occupational therapy, orthopedic braces and devices, surgery in some cases, and medication for severe nerve pain.

How Jackson's Diagnosis Unfolded

Jackson revealed publicly in September 2021, during an interview with TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager, that he had been living with the condition for approximately a decade before speaking about it. He described the moment plainly: "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."

He added that balance on stage had become a specific problem. "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," he told TODAY.

Jackson also explained that the condition runs through his family. His father and paternal grandmother had it, his older sister has been diagnosed with it as well. His father, Joseph Eugene Jackson, died in 2000 at age 72 from a ruptured aorta, a separate condition from CMT.

What CMT Does to a Performer on Stage

For a touring musician, the specific demands of a two-hour stadium show make CMT's effects particularly acute. Standing for extended periods, moving across a wide stage, maintaining footing on riser platforms, each of these places stress on the lower-leg muscles and balance systems that CMT progressively compromises.

In a May 2024 social media statement, Jackson was direct about how the disease was shaping his decisions. "Most of my fans know I have a degenerative health condition that affects my legs and arms and mobility that I got from my daddy, and it's getting worse and it makes me more uncomfortable on stage," he said. "I have a hard time and I just want to think about maybe calling it quits before I'm unable to do the job like I want to."

His last regular road-tour performance was on May 17, 2025, at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum, at the end of his Last Call: One More for the Road tour.

The Nashville Finale

The final show, formally titled Last Call: One More for the Road, The Finale, took place at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on June 27, 2026, before a sold-out crowd projected at more than 50,000 people. Tickets sold out during the October 2025 presale after approximately 500,000 people registered for access.

The event was interrupted by a lightning-related weather delay that temporarily moved fans to covered areas. Local Nashville station WSMV reported that Jackson was expected back on stage at approximately 9:25 p.m. after the delay ended. His official career history subsequently confirmed that the show took place.

The guest lineup included George Strait, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Little Big Town, Jake Owen, Jon Pardi, Thomas Rhett, Lee Ann Womack, and family members Adam Wright, Big City Brian Wright, and Carlisle Wright. George Strait, who performed alongside Jackson, was 74 on the night of the show, having been born on May 18, 1952, according to his official website.

A portion of proceeds from ticket sales went to the CMT Research Foundation, which funds efforts to find a treatment for the disease.

What Touring Retirement Does, and Does Not, Mean

Jackson has retired from full-length concert touring. He has not announced retirement from writing, recording, or releasing music. In 2023 he expressed hope that he would continue making music, and his official history records the release of his Front Porch Sittin' EP on May 30, 2025.

"I came to Nashville with a paper sack full of songs and a crazy dream," Jackson said when he accepted the inaugural Alan Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award at the Academy of Country Music's 60th anniversary celebration in May 2025. "And all these years later I'm standing here receiving such an honor like this. It's just mind-blowing."

Career Record in Numbers

According to his official chronology and awards page, Jackson's recorded career includes 35 number one hits across industry charts, 50 top-ten singles, and more than 60 million albums sold worldwide. He has earned two Grammy Awards, 16 CMA Awards, and 22 ACM Awards, including the inaugural lifetime honor that now bears his name. The Country Music Hall of Fame credits him with 26 number one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart specifically.

Jackson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2017 and has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1991. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.

The NBC Special

NBC announced on June 4, 2026, that the Nashville finale would be filmed and broadcast as a primetime special titled Alan Jackson: The Last Show. The special will air later in 2026 on NBC and stream on Peacock the following day. No specific premiere date has been announced. The production is directed by Sam Wrench and produced by Joan of Arc StudioWorks and EverWonder Studios, according to the official announcement.

Jackson has been married to Denise, whom he met in Newnan, Georgia in 1976, since December 15, 1979. They have three daughters, Mattie, Ali, and Dani, and welcomed their fourth grandchild, Parker Anne Bradshaw, on April 8, 2026.