An illness has forced Alan Jackson to take an unexpected break from touring. The country star suddenly cancelled shows at the Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va. and the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford, N.H. last week. Both venues have since posted statements explaining that the concerts would not be rescheduled in 2018.
Last night, he was also a no-show at the ACM Honors event in Nashville, where he was scheduled to be presented with the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, which is given to an artist who "has advanced the popularity of the genre through their contributions in multiple facets of the industry."
However, Jackson was not in attendance to receive the honor. Instead, his daughter Mattie accepted the award on his behalf. Hours later, Jackson explained his absence from the ceremony and gave more insight into his ailment.
"Just want to thank everybody at the ACMs for honoring me with the Cliffie Stone Award, I'm sorry I couldn't be there to personally accept it," Jackson said in a statement posted on Instagram. "And most of all thank you to all my fans for their prayers and well wishes as I continue to recover from a respiratory infection. I'm on the mend and will be back to normal soon!"
READ MORE: The Story Behind Alan Jackson's Trademark Hit "Remember When"
Although Jackson couldn't make it to last night's ceremony at Ryman Auditorium, his legacy was rightly celebrated by his peers. Event co-hosts Lauren Alaina and Jon Pardi put their own spin on Jackson's beloved hit "Chasin' That Neon Rainbow." Chris Stapleton also supplied an impressive musical tribute with his rendition of "Here in the Real World."
Wide Open Country will keep you updated on any further updates about Jackson's health.
