Alan Jackson, 64, has captivated millions of fans with his exquisite combination of traditional country music and honky tonk for four decades.
He is a Grand Ole Opry member, has sold over 80 million records, and was honored into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2017.
But Alan has recently gone through some awful tragedies, and he stated last year that he had been diagnosed with a degenerative neurological condition.
Ben Selecman was killed in a boating accident in 2018, and his family and the Country Music Hall of Famer are still in mourning.
In a cruel twist of fate, the 28-year-old, who was married to Mattie Jackson Selecman, died while attempting to help a woman into a boat.
According to the Tennessean, Ben collapsed and hit his head while helping a woman into a boat. Despite being rushed to the hospital right away, Ben died from “serious traumatic brain injuries.”
Employees at Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk, where Ben worked as an Assistant District Attorney, told The Tennessean that he will be missed for his sense of humour and relentless determination.
“He was a rising star, and I’m sorry we lost him, but I’m grateful for every day he worked for us because he was fantastic,” they said in a statement.
Alan Jackson recently confessed that this familial tragedy influenced his songs Angels & Alcohol and Where Have You Gone from earlier this year.
Nothing beats a family gathering.
Mattie has been grieving the devastating loss of her lover for three years, with her father by her side. Even more alarming, the father and daughter acknowledged to co-writing the song “Racing the Dark.” This is the first time Jackson’s girls have acted as inspiration for his well-known country song.
Fans of the celebrity can download the song by purchasing Mattie’s upcoming book, Lemons on Friday: Trusting God Through My Greatest Heartbreak. Mattie recounts how the death of her spouse affected her and how her faith helped her begin the healing process in the book.
She also talks about how her suffering drove her to co-found NaSHEville, a business that aims to empower women in Music City, and how this gave her the motivation to find new strength.
The book also includes an introduction by Alan and his wife, New York Times best-selling novelist Denise Jackson. The married couple discusses their own experiences, such as how they found new ways to nurture her and how they coped with the loss of a new family member.
Alan Jackson’s illness
Unfortunately, Alan Jackson has had to cope with some personal health concerns as well. Alan revealed in an exclusive interview last year that he had recently been struggling with major health concerns.
Alan states that he has had problems for the past ten years and that he has Charcot-Marie-Tooth illness, a degenerative nerve disease.
The sickness has an impact on the country singer’s life; it might be difficult for him to walk and maintain his balance at times. Unfortunately, there is no cure because the condition is genetic and was passed down from Alan’s father.
According to Alan, the situation has gotten worse over time.
“There is no treatment, but it has been bothering me for years. And it’s becoming increasingly clear. And I’m aware that I’m bumbling around on stage. And now I’m having difficulties balancing, even in front of the microphone, and I just feel extremely uncomfortable,” he told Jenna Bush Hager from Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
The illness affects “the peripheral nerve system and creates balance problems by affecting smaller, weaker muscles in the body’s extremities.” The majority of the damage is to the arms and legs.
Even if it’s a setback for him, Alan has no intention of leaving the spotlight. He will hopefully continue to tour and perform his songs for many years to come.
“It will not kill me.” “It’s not lethal,” Jackson explained. “However, it is linked to muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s disease.”
Alan, please accept our prayers for you and your family. One of my fave artists!
