Zac Brown Band's John Driskell Hopkins fights ALS diagnosis: 'Crying sucks'
John Driskell Hopkins, or "Hop" to his friends, knows his ALS diagnosis is no laughing matter – but that's not stopping him from maintaining a playful perspective on life. Hop shared his ALS diagnosis with fans in May 2022. In the year since, he continued touring as a founding member of the Zac Brown Band, recorded more music and started the Hop On a Cure nonprofit dedicated to not only funding research of the disease but also creating a community for people living with ALS. "I had one lady ask me … she was diagnosed right around the same time," Hop remembered. "She said, ‘How come you’re not crying all day?' I'm like, ‘Crying sucks.’ You know, I've done my share of crying, and I know I don't want to." He added, "And I'm full of sh--.