Zac Brown Band’s John Driskell Hopkins Shares ALS Diagnosis, Plans to Continue ‘Rocking’ With Group for ‘Many Years to Come’
usmagazine.comMusician John Driskell Hopkins, who plays bass in the Zac Brown Band, has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) — also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.“I have tough news to share,” Hopkins, 51, said in a Friday, May 20, Instagram video, standing beside his bandmates. “Over the past several years, I’ve noticed some balance issues and some stiffness in my hands.”He continued: “After careful analysis by some of the country’s top neurologists, I’ve been diagnosed with ALS.
Because my symptoms have been slow-progressing from the start, we believe they will continue to be slow progressing going forward.
God willing, I plan to be rocking with these amazing people for many years to come.”The Texas native, a founding member of the country band, has since launched the Hop on a Cure foundation to help search for a cure.“The technology and research around ALS treatments has been advancing, but we still don’t have a cure.
Thanks so much for your prayers and helping us cure ALS,” lead singer Zac Brown explained in the Friday social media video.According to the Mayo Clinic, ALS is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control.
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