Alan Jackson played his final concert ever on June 27. The country music star, 67, is retiring from touring as he struggles with a neurological disorder.Show Caption
NASHVILLE − At his farewell concert, Alan Jackson delivered a series of heartfelt speeches.The "Chattahoochee" singer and country music legend closed his touring career with "Alan Jackson: Last Call — The Finale" at Nissan Stadium on June 27, performing to a sold-out crowd after tribute performances from fellow country artists.Before Jackson's set, a lineup of stars played and shared stories about Jackson's musical impact, including Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson.Following a 40-minute severe weather delay, Jackson took the stage."Thank you guys so much. I’m Alan Jackson, it’s good to see you all," he said as fans cheered."These nice things people said, it's just completely overwhelming. It just makes me wanna tear up a little bit," he said."I'll be honest with you, I so appreciate all y'all being here tonight, and all the artists that gave you their time to come here tonight and sing some songs," Jackson added, joking that he wished he had the same vocal prowess as his guest performers."We're not going to dwell on all this sad 'last show' stuff," he said, sharing that earlier it felt a bit like a funeral and he was up in heaven watching all the stars sing his songs."I put one of the lines in my songs: 'I'm just a singer of simple songs,' and that's exactly what I am," Jackson said, explaining he's dedicated his career to writing tunes about "life, love and drinking.""And it's just been a crazy life, crazy career. And been so blessed, as my momma would say."Jackson said he just wanted his fans to enjoy the evening. "Two-step up and down the aisle, do whatever you want to do, sit back and relax, have a good time, have a drink," he said. "We'll try to play something you like."Early in the set, he cycled through hits including "Livin' on Love," "Summertime Blues," "Midnight in Montgomery" and "Who's Cheatin' Who" before addressing the crowd again.“If anyone has lived the American dream,” he said, sitting on a stool, “It’s me.”"I just want to thank everybody, all these fans from all over the world, for listening to my music for all these years. ... I've played several thousand shows here, and y’all have always been so nice, so respectful."Jackson said he moved to Nashville about 40 years ago from Georgia. He was going to give himself five years to land a record deal before giving up and moving back home."After five years, I finally got a record contract … we recorded the first album. We were so excited, put out the first single on the radio ... and it died a terrible death," he said."Luckily the record label decided to release this other song ... and I’ve had work since."That "other song" was his breakthrough 1990 hit, "Here in the Real World," which he performed next.Why is Alan Jackson retiring?The 67-year-old Grammy-winning country artist announced his retirement from touring in May 2025 during the final stop of his “Last Call: One More for the Road” tour at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum.Since 2011, Jackson has battled Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, an inherited neurological disorder that damages the peripheral nerves, affecting movement, balance and sensation.The disease, which runs in Jackson's family, has affected his ability to move and stay balanced on stage. It is generally not fatal, although it is slowly progressive, causing muscle weakness and loss of sensation in the extremities."I just felt like I had to end it all where it all started, and that's in Nashville, Tennessee," Jackson said in Milwaukee. "I gotta do my last one there."“It’s been a long, sweet ride. It started 40 years ago this September. My wife and I drove to Nashville with an old U-Haul trailer and chased this dream," Jackson said. "It’s been a crazy ride ... thank you all so much for all your support of my music and attending my shows."For each ticket sold to Jackson's farewell concert, $1 is being donated to the CMT Research Foundation, an organization that funds research to find a cure for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.The concert will also air as a prime-time TV special and stream on Peacock later this year.
