Alan Jackson is hanging up his cowboy hat, for the road, at least.
After more than three decades of touring, the country music legend played his final show in Milwaukee on Saturday night, bringing his Last Call: One More for the Road Tour to an emotional close.
“Y’all may have heard that I’m kinda winding down,” Jackson told the crowd.
“In fact, this is my last roadshow of my career.”
Fighting back tears, the 66-year-old star promised fans one last big show in Nashville next summer.
“Y’all gonna make me tear up out here,” he said.
“I just felt like I had to end it all where it all started.”
From a U-Haul to a Hall of Fame Career
Jackson’s career has been nothing short of iconic.
Since the late ’80s, he’s delivered timeless hits like “Chattahoochee,” “Livin’ on Love,” and “Remember When.”
“It started 40 years ago this September,” Jackson told fans.
“My wife and I drove to Nashville with an ol’ U-Haul trailer and chased this dream.”
He chased it, and caught it.
“It’s been a crazy ride. I lived the American dream for sure. So blessed.”
The Health Battle Behind the Goodbye
Jackson first revealed in 2021 that he’s living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a progressive neurological condition that affects balance and muscle control.
“I know I’m stumbling around stage now,” he said in a Today show interview.
“I’m having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone.”
Opening up about the condition brought relief, he said.
“If anybody’s curious at why I don’t walk right, that’s why.”
While he’s handled it with grace, the disease made touring increasingly difficult, and ultimately led to his decision to step away from the road.
He’s Not Done Yet: “There’ll Be More Music”
Although his tour days are behind him, Jackson says he’s far from finished creatively.
In a 2023 episode of his daughter Mattie Jackson’s podcast, In Joy Life, the two-time Grammy winner revealed he’s still writing.
“I’m always scribbling down ideas and thinking about melodies,” he said.
“I feel like there’ll be some more music to come, yes.”
And for Jackson, it’s the songwriting, not the spotlight, that matters most.
“[Writing songs] is more fulfilling than anything,” he added.
“You can be a singer and go out and tour … but it’s kind of like you’re just doing the same thing over and over.”
The Road Ends, But the Music Lives On
Alan Jackson may have taken his final bow on tour, but his voice, and his songs, are far from fading.
With four decades of country hits and fans still singing every word, his legacy rolls on… even if the tour bus doesn’t.
