“Did Alan Jackson die?” Months to the end of 2022, a tumultuous year in all regards, that was the question on the lips of many netizens.
Alan Jackson is a famous country music hitmaker whose music had a considerable amount of the American population in thrall between the 1990s and early 21st century. In 2022, Jackson had to push back and reschedule some of his tour dates due to health issues.
When he performed, he did so seated on a stool. He had also been seen several times swerving around like a drunk on stage. It set the stage for what came next; worry about his health and a death hoax.
“Did Alan Jackson Die?” — A Question That Predicated The Truth
No, Alan Jackson did not die. Rumors of his death was a hoax sponsored by an inaccurate website known for creating death rumors about celebrities who just happened to still be alive.
On the main page of the website, a framed picture of Jackson was displayed with the abbreviation “RIP” written next to it. According to The Sun, the title read: “6 minutes ago/with a heavy heart as we report the sad news of 64-year-old singer Alan Jackson.”
Other stars who had been previously reported dead by the site include Bruce Willis, Denzel Washington, and Dolly Parton.
Did Alan Jackson Die? No, But Is He Sick? Yes.
Alan Jackson did not die. However, he is sick.
In September 2021, Jackson opened up about his health issues. The award-winning crooner stated that he was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
It is a degenerative nerve condition that negatively affects Jackson’s balance and ability to move. According to what he said at the time, he had been living with it since his diagnosis ten years ago.
He said in a Today interview:
“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.”
Jackson admitted that the imbalance and constant stumbling always left him feeling uncomfortable. However, he also confirmed that the illness does not shorten his life.
He said:
“It’s not going to kill me. It’s not deadly. But it’s related (to) muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s disease.”
It was an annoyance but Jackson stated that he was not bowing out of the game yet.
Time Made His Fans Forget His Statements
Alan Jackson revealed his health issues to his fans towards the end of 2021, several months before his death hoax surfaced online.
It may have been enough time to forget but when the rumours of his demise started circulating, what most could remember was that he was “sick.”
As fate would have it, he had also cancelled tours around that time. It was all kinder for the flames of fake news. Before long, the news was all over the internet and people started talking.
“Did Alan Jackson die?” They asked, but there was no answer from the man himself. Just a throwback photo shared on his social media pages rather than an obituary.
It reduced the pandemonium but it was barely enough to completely displace the public’s curiosity. In the end, the rumours were dispelled when a clip of him was posted with a caption that read: “Still living that honky tonk dream y’all.”
Alan Jackson’s Daughter Confirmed He Was Alive
Months after rumours of Alan Jackson’s death surfaced, his daughter Mattie Jackson Selecman spoke about him.
The conversation happened while Mattie was discussing her father’s new bourbon, the Silverbelly Whiskey on an episode of “Today in Nashville.”
While people were busy panicking about his alleged death, Jackson may have been working on new ways to help people be a part of his career. His solution was the whiskey which he named after his cowboy hat.
During the discussion, Mattie did not speak of her father like he had passed on but like a daughter proud to show off his achievement. It further weakened the rumours and eventually, the hoax became a thing of the past.
News of top stars battling sickness always leaves their fans shocked and vulnerable to the fake news of their demise. Fans of the talented Jackson are glad his illness is not life-threatening and they hope he’ll stick around for several more decades.