Country music singer-songwriter Alan Jackson recently announced an extension for his final tour, the “Last Call: One More for the Road Tour.” The final performance dates are set to kick off August 2024, with shows running into May 2025. Stops are planned throughout America, with performances taking place in states like Michigan, Oklahoma, and Florida.
Childhood Inspiration for Music
Mr. Jackson’s faith has always been a central part of his life. His earliest musical inspiration comes from his time spent at church. As a young boy, music was his favorite part of Sunday service. While reflecting on his earliest memories, he said, “I remember the music, that big old pipe organ. I’ve just always loved that sound. There’s something magical about that.”As an adult, he has made it a point to include the hymns he loved listening to as a child into his repertoire as one of country music’s most successful artists. In 2006, he released his gospel album, Precious Memories, as a tribute to the church music he loves so dearly.
The record features his family’s favorite traditional Christian hymns and songs like “How Great Thou Art” and “I Love to Tell The Story.” He took a minimalist approach with the album’s instrumentation, stating, “I wanted to make them feel like they did when we sang them in church.”
A Life-Altering Diagnosis
In 2011, Mr. Jackson’s faith was tested. Doctors diagnosed him with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease. He inherited the genetic nerve condition from his father, and it affects his motor skills, making it hard to perform on stage.
Despite the 2011 diagnosis, he waited years to talk about it as he leaned on his faith and worked through the emotions that come with such life-altering news. When he did go public, he said it was a relief and discussed how his condition occasionally affects his shows.
“There’s no cure for it, but it’s been affecting me for years. And it’s getting more and more obvious. … I’m having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone. … I think it'll be good for me now to get it out in the open.”
Focusing on His Greatest Passion
For Mr. Jackson, the “Last Call” tour is “one final chance” for audiences to experience his music live. Following the tour’s conclusion, he plans to take a more leisurely approach with his work. He’s looking forward to spending more time with his family, who have been so supportive as he juggles a national tour along with his nerve disorder. He’s mentioned, as he enters his “twilight years,” he looks forward to making memories with his wife Denise, his daughters, and his grandchildren.
He also looks forward to focusing more on songwriting. While the award-winning artist enjoys performing for fans, his greatest passion is putting words to melody:
“When you make an album, or especially when you write a lot of the songs for it, that’s creating something. It’s a challenge, so it keeps you interested a little more.” When it comes to making music, Mr. Jackson admits, songwriting, “is more fulfilling than anything.”
