FIGHTING IT

John Driskell Hopkins of Zac Brown Band Has Lou Gehrig’s Disease

“Because my symptoms have been slow progressing from the start, we believe they will continue to be slow progressing going forward.”

A founding member of country music’s Zac Brown Band has revealed he is suffering from ALS, the degenerative nervous-system condition also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. John Driskell Hopkins, 51, made the announcement in a video with his bandmates, saying he had noticed “some balance issues and some stiffness in my hands” over the last few years. “After careful analysis by some of the country’s top neurologists, I have 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,” he said. “God willing, I plan to be rocking with these amazing people for many years to come.”