Country legend Alan Jackson has revealed he's been living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a degenerative nerve condition. During an interview with Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY, the 62-year-old singer said the disease has been affecting him for quite some time.
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"I have this neuropathy and neurological disease," Jackson said. "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. And 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."
According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition is inherited and causes nerve damage, resulting in smaller, weaker muscles.
"It's not going to kill me. It's not deadly," Jackson said. "But it's related (to) muscular dystrophy and Parkinson's disease."
Read More: New Alan Jackson Song Accompanies Pre-Sales of Daughter Mattie Jackson Selecman's Book
Jackson, who was diagnosed with the condition 10 years ago, says he has no plans to retire.
"I never wanted to do the big retirement tour, like people do, then take a year off and then come back," Jackson said. "I think that's kinda cheesy. And I'm not saying I won't be able to tour. I'll try to do as much as I can."
The "Livin' On Love" singer is scheduled to perform at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 8.
Jackson released his most recent album Where Have You Gone earlier this year, which features "I Can Be That Something," "Things That Matter," "Way Down in My Whiskey" and a cover of Merle Haggard's "That's The Way Love Goes."
Jackson recently released a video for the album's title track, which features images of country legends, such as Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and Haggard.
"The song kind of starts out like it's [about] a lost love," Jackson said in a press release. "I love what I call 'real country music,' and I just see it fading away more than I ever have. I just wanted to say that."
Jackson has also released "Racing in the Dark," a co-write with daughter Mattie Jackson Selecman, which is available to download when you pre-order Mattie Jackson Selecman's bok Lemons on Friday: Trusting God Through My Greatest Heartbreak.
