Country music is big business and a concert can be a good time, but fans might be surprised what some of their favorite stars are going through to give them that experience.
The following is a look at some of country’s brightest stars — from legends to red-hot chart toppers and even young up-and-comers — who are dealing with serious health issues while, in most cases, still putting on a show for the fans.
Check out the list below:
PAUL CAUTHEN
Paul Cauthen stunned the country music world earlier this year when he announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and just a few weeks later he delivered another shocker.
The 40-year-old singer took to social media to announce that he was not going to treat his cancer via traditional methods but was instead opting for a holistic approach. Recently, Cauthen opened up about exactly what he is doing to treat his thyroid cancer as well as how he thinks things are going during an appearance on the “Ten Year Town” podcast with Troy Cartwright.
“Going good,” Cauthen said. “Whipping cancer’s ass. It’s going great. I’ve been taking a bunch of supplements. Taking ivermectin, fenbendazole and methylene blue. All these things not a lot of people talk about instead of doing the general way of having your whole endocrine system ripped out of your throat.”
Cauthen then touched on some formerly in his circle being against him taking a holistic approach.
“I went a different way,” he said. “So, it has been … a lot of people shunned me for it. A lot of people have gotten a lot of flack. I’ve stopped working with people because of this situation. It’s been weird. You want to actually make a call for your own body, and people want to make calls for your body for you. That was the first time I ever had that feeling. I guess getting cancer is one of those things that kind of opened up who the real people are in your life that are in it for you and your health and your journey back to your most wanted health. Instead of playing psychological games and trying to tell you what to do and have you do this and do that, and you need to be like that, and we have the answers.
“Everybody can tell you what they believe, but you gotta go find it out for yourself.”
Cauthen said that he has always been “as a stubborn as a mule.”
“It’s wild. It’s scary,” he said. “I took a tougher road in the end. I’d already be healed up, but there’s a chance I could have lost my voice. There’s you know, I could have been unstable in my calcium and my levels could be, I could feel like I have a weighted blanket on me every day and be fatigued, chronic fatigue. Maybe me sex drive goes down. There’s so many things that can happen when you pull this organ out of your body. It takes you years to get stable on supplements, and you’re married to supplements the rest of your life. So, I’m taking a crapload of supplements now, and I’ve lost 25 pounds, and I believe that in the end I can say that cancer really saved my life because it stopped a lot of my bad habits.
“I was eating double cheeseburgers at 4 a.m. on the bus,” Cauthen said. “I haven’t had bread in a long time or beer really. I have a different outlook. So, in the end, I think in the long game, me getting healthy and taking this path of health and wellness and eating clean is going to save me.
“Give me longevity.”
MARK CHESNUTT
Mark Chesnutt has had a rough couple of months in 2024, and that is probably putting it lightly because the country music star very nearly lost his life last June.
The 62-year-old was rushed into emergency surgery where he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. It sounds serious because it is, and that is something that will obviously take time to come back from.
Chesnutt is apparently one, tough dude because he made it back pretty quickly and was already touring by the end of 2024.
John Driskell Hopkins
Zac Brown Band bass guitarist John Driskell Hopkins announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS about three years ago, and he is still out there battling the disease.
In an interview with Fox last year, he revealed how he came to suspect that something was wrong, and how he finally got his diagnosis.
“I told the guys back in 2019 that there was something wrong with me,” he said. “Like, before COVID my bluegrass hand was, you know, this hand was doing great and this hand was slowing down.
“And all throughout COVID, I played gigs in Cul-de-sacs and private homes and back porches, and I noticed a little bit, but it wasn’t until we got back out in the fall of ‘21 that I really noticed changes above and beyond me just not being able to keep up with bluegrass. It was more like, I was laughing on stage, and my legs were locking up.”
Driskell Hopkins said that at first they thought the issue was caused from the new statin drugs that he started for cholesterol.
“Then we thought, ‘Could it be some sort of head injury?’” he said. “And, you know, I never played football really. I knocked my head around a little bit, but nothing crazy. It wasn’t until two neurologists missed it that we landed on the third and got the diagnosis.”
Ashley Cooke
Ashley Cooke’s health revelation earlier this year had her fans sending prayers and well-wishes.
The 28-year-old made the revelation recently on a TikTok video. She mentioned that she is having a career year, and she has indeed found success, but … man, she has really had a rough run of health-related news. That included her dropping in the nugget about a recent diagnosis of her own.
Cooke provided more information on that in an interview with Taste of Country.
“It’s a genetic thing called Brugada syndrome,” she told the site. “A lot of my family members have passed away unexpectedly, very healthy and very young, from it. So it’s very scary.”
The Mayo Clinic says that Brugada syndrome is “a rare but potentially life-threatening heart rhythm condition that is sometimes inherited.”
It adds that people with Brugada syndrome have “an increased risk of irregular heart rhythms beginning in the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). This disease can cause an abnormal rhythm in the heart’s lower chambers, leading to ventricular fibrillation (v-fib) and sudden cardiac death, often occurring while at rest or asleep.”
Cooke told Taste of Country she underwent multiple EKGs to get to the diagnosis and is working with a cardiologist to try to find out more about her condition.
“The crazy part is, it doesn’t really impact anything about my daily life,” she said. “That’s the scary part about Brugada syndrome. It just feels like a ghost around you. Because there’s no warning signs, no symptoms. It’s just one of those things where all of a sudden one day, this certain thing in your heart can just stop, and you’re just gone.
“It’s terrifying,” she added. “It doesn’t impact anything that I do, or how I function, until one day, it maybe just could.”
COLT FORD
Colt Ford died twice after collapsing following a show last April.
Obviously, doctors were able to bring him back both times, and he is already back out there touring and making music.
He revealed some of the details of what happened last year when he called in to the Big D and Bubba radio show.
“It’s been a traumatic, crazy experience,” Ford told the hosts. “I didn’t even remember coming out here to do a show in Phoenix.”
Ford had just stepped back onto his tour bus after performing at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row bar when he texted his fiancée, ‘Hi baby.’”
“And then I fell over dead,” he said.
Ford said that, luckily, his band came out to check on him and found him. And, he said, country music star Brantley Gilbert got involved in getting him to the hospital and, eventually, making sure he was switched to another hospital when the one they were at didn’t have the correct equipment to deal with Ford’s heart situation.
“He said, ‘I don’t care what you do, get him to the other hospital,’” Ford said of Gilbert.
Ford said he died during transport to the other hospital.
“They brought me back,” he said. “They saved my life. The Lord had more for me to do.”
He added that one of his doctors told him he would not have given him a 1-percent chance to live.
“He said, I would give you a .1 percent chance that you would have survived,’” Ford said.
“I had so much trauma in my body and my heart,” he said. “I had three stints put in (my heart).”
Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson will go down as one of the greatest country music stars of all-time when all is said and done.
The icon retired earlier this year from touring — he is planning one final farewell show for next year — and there were multiple reasons for that.
One reason is that he has been battling with a rare genetic condition alled Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. It is a chronic neuropathy condition that affects a person’s balance and ability to walk, and it apparently runs in his family.
“Most of my fans know I have a degenerative health condition that affects my legs and arms and my mobility that I got from my daddy and it’s getting worse,” he said. “So, it makes me more uncomfortable on stage, and I just have a hard time, and I just want to think about maybe calling it quits before I’m unable to do the job like I want to.”
Raul Malo
The Mavericks frontman Raul Malo returned to social media in late September with a heartbreaking update for his fans as he battles stage 4 cancer.
The singer has now gotten a new and heartbreaking diagnosis.
“Dear Friends, I want to update you all on my health, as things have taken a turn,” he wrote on Facebook. “As it goes with cancer, it’s a very unpredictable and indiscriminatory disease. I’ve developed something called LMD, which stands for ‘get this (expletive) out of my head.’ Treatment for this is radiation, which I will start tomorrow. We will probably jump into some chemo and are even looking at alternative therapies. But it’s time to take to heart your words of resting & recovering, so that’s what I’m going to do.
“Unfortunately, this does mean all shows going forward are cancelled, but we’ll continue doing cool projects, releasing live recordings, merchandise, Trovador and so forth,” he continued. “I want to thank Dwight Yoakam, his band, and crew for their kindness and understanding this year, and sorry we couldn’t finish the tour the way we planned. Hang on to your tickets for the Ryman in December, as we are planning something special there, and hope to announce that very soon.”
Malo then reassured fans about how he is doing.
“But I want to let everybody know, I am in no way alone, or scared,” he said. “I have an amazing wife and boys, wonderful family, team, road crew, band, friends and fans. I don’t even have enough words to describe the love and support that I’m getting right now. To my friends who have sent me texts and messages, I want you to know that I’ve read them all. I can’t return them all, but your love, prayers, and well wishes have not gone unnoticed.
“We don’t know what this will look like a couple months from now, but we are going into it like we have with everything else,” Malo continued. “Full steam ahead. Fight, recover, rest, repeat. I want to thank you all for your incredible support through all this, & sorry about the cancellations but we not choice anymore. Find kindness and empathy out there wherever you can. Humans are alright, even if you don’t believe it from what you see on TV. We will keep you informed as this goes, and I promise, no more bullfighting pictures without context.”
It came after Malo shared a photo of a bullfighter bowing before a bull on Tuesday.
Leptomeningeal Disease is when cancer spread to the cerebrospinal fluid and leptomeninges, which are membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.According to the Cleveland Clinic, there is no cure for the disease, and treatment focuses on keeping the disease from spreading while easing symptoms to maintain quality of life.
Malo, 60, had a surgery in August that he hoped would be the start to his road back to full health. But earlier this month, The Mavericks announced on Instagram that he was taking more time off on the direction of his doctors.
“Due to the circumstances of his current medical condition, Raul’s medical team has instructed him not to be on the road this weekend,” the post read back on Sept. 11. “As a result we’ve had to make the difficult decision to cancel this weekend’s performances in New Haven, Verona & Boston. While Raul continues the long road to recovery, we hope you’ll still enjoy an incredible night of music with our great friends Dwight Yoakam and opener Phillip Bowen!
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and deeply appreciate your continued support during this time.”
Malo revealed in late July that he had the surgery planned for early August. And in late June, he also gave fans an idea of what was ahead for him in his fight against the disease.
“Thank you to everyone for their kind wishes and support throughout all of this,” Malo wrote on Instagram. “It has not gone unnoticed I assure you. As we go through this, and I saw ‘we’ because I am not going through this alone. My family at home, my crew, my band, my management … my whole entire crew is going through this with me. Without their support who knows where I’d be. It’s important to surround yourself with as much love and support as possible. Psychology is an integral part of your physical state. I thought I had everything under control. (BTW, that’s just you lying to yourself) Then the cancer sideshows started to play out.
“My sinus infection literally brought me to my knees,” he added. “I had never felt headaches like that. I went to a specialist. Got it taken care of but the residual results are numbing of the left side of my face. Neurologist said it will repair over time. The damage is not permanent and not visible. A little drooling here and there … oh well.”
“Perspective: I’m alive.”
Malo continued to lay out his physical situation.
“The abdominal hernia has been the most challenging in all of this,” he wrote. “First of all it’s very visible. And at times it has been really painful. Most of the time it’s just really uncomfortable as I have to wear this hernia belt around my abdomen to help keep my insides in place … ugh! I’ve basically been turned into a drooling, farting potato … sigh.
“Perspective: I’m alive.”
He then talked about the road ahead.
“I say all this because I want those that are going through this to know that challenges will arise,” he wrote. “You will have your own. The fact that I can go onstage helps keep me focused on the end game. My colon surgery has been scheduled for August. The hernia will be repaired later on in the year as that will require a bit more recovery time. 16 rounds of chemo have done what they’re made to do … kill cancer. I’m not out of the woods yet but I’m on the way. First pic is from my last round of chemo. Then per usual I go for a drive in the countryside while listening to Pavarotti while driving a little over the speed limit. My wife Betty, makes a delicious Spanish omelet (my favorite) as the Mediterranean diet helps keep you healthy. For all those fighting this fight … hang in there. We got this! RM”
Malo spent time in the hospital in January after developing the hernia. He also announced in January that he had surgery on Dec. 10 to remove a tumor from his liver.
Malo announced his diagnosis last June in an Instagram video.
“In the last couple of years, we out here on the road, we have been on a health kick,” he said. “Treating ourselves a little better. Taking care out ourselves a little better, and really trying to do all the right things as far as nutrition, etc. So, part of the health journey is to get yourself checked out. Go to a doctor, take a physical and start there.”
Malo said that is what he did.
“And that led to another appointment with a gastrointestinal specialist, which led to a CAT scan,” he said. “And that proved to show two cancerous spots.”
CARLY PEARCE
Country music star Carly Pearce opened up more about the frightening heart condition she revealed last year during an appearance on “Today” in January.
The 34-year-old singer revealed last year that she was dealing with pericarditis, which is the inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“I had a really debilitating chest pain that was only relieved if I bent over like this (leaning forward), and that’s a classic symptom of pericarditis,” she reportedly said. “And then when you lay back, it gets way worse because that wall is kind of inflamed around your heart.”
She said she also had “a really intense shortness of breath … almost having to suck through a straw.”
While she just revealed the issue last year, Pearce reportedly said it is something she has actually been dealing with for nearly five years.
“I’m doing better,” she said. “I’m healthy. I’m trying to find my new normal. I have what’s called recurrent pericarditis. I’ve had several flares since 2020.”
Pearce also has a history of heart issues in her family, per Fox, with her father surviving a widowmaker heart attack when she was 19.
She told “Today” that she leaned on her father and his experience with heart issues in dealing with her own.
“Just for the help through the anxiety that comes with, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m having a chest pain, am I OK, am I OK?‘” she said. “It’s been really helpful to have somebody in your family that can really help you with those things.”
Richard Sterban
Oak Ridge Boys member Richard Sterben shocked fans in late September when he announced that he is battling pancreatic cancer.
Sterban has been a member of the legendary group for 53 years.
“In March of this year, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,” Sterban said in an announcement. “But I am under the care of the best cancer doctors in the country and, with the help of the Good Lord above, I believe I will be able to get through this.”
“I want to thank everyone, especially the fans, for your concern, and I would appreciate your continued prayers,” he added. “Most days I’m feeling very good, and I hope to be back out on the road in several months.”
Clay Walker
Country music star Clay Walker was forced to cancel his show earlier this year in Hot Springs, Arkansas due to side effects from a medical procedure.
The 55-year-old, who has been battling multiple sclerosis, announced the news on social media.
“Dear friends & country music fans, I recently had a procedure that could really help my MS,” he wrote on Instagram. “Unfortunately, I’ve got some side effects that have left me unable to perform tonight at Timberwood Amphitheater in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
“I really tried my best to pull through for you all, which is why I waited until this morning to make this call,” he continued. “I look forward to returning to Arkansas soon, and I’m bummed to miss you all tonight. We will see everyone back out on the road soon!”
The good news is that Walker appears to be back in the swing of things and has since been active on social media. It’s clear he is one tough dude.
Taste of Country reported that Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996 when he was just 26 years old. Taste of Country said that the singer started his Clay Walker Foundation at the time and had raised $2.6 million as of 2024 for multiple sclerosis research.