ATLANTA (March 11, 2022) CMT Research Foundation (CMTRF) the only nonprofit organization focused solely on delivering treatments and cures for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)*, will see its efforts boosted by country music superstar Alan Jackson’s fans this year as $1 from every ticket sold for his just-announced Last Call: One More for the Road Tour will be donated to CMTRF.
“The CMTRF is honored to partner with Alan Jackson’s Last Call: One More for the Road Tour for this fundraising effort. This support is certain to shine a light on this inherited disease and help accelerate the rate at which we can fund the research that will result in an end to CMT,” said CMTRF CEO Cleary Simpson. A generous group of donors and Board members is committed to matching ticket purchasers’ donations dollar-for-dollar to increase the impact of the tour’s contribution.
In September 2021, on NBC’s TODAY, Jackson revealed he has CMT, a chronic peripheral neuropathy causing nerve degradation that often results in progressive muscle atrophy of the legs and arms, producing walking, running, and balance problems along with abnormal hand and foot functioning. CMT affects one in 2,500 people (about the same global prevalence as multiple sclerosis) including 150,000 Americans and nearly 3 million people around the world.
Alan Jackson’s Last Call: One More for the Road Tour will find the Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson bringing over 30 years of hits to cities across America, playing arenas through the fall (detailed listing available at alanjackson.com). The three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year will thrill audiences – visiting cities and areas he hasn’t in several years for the last time – as fans relive hits like “Chattahoochee” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” night-after-night.
Tickets and tour information are available at alanjackson.com/tour. Most cities go on sale Friday, March 18. Alan Jackson’s music and performances have gained him worldwide acclaim, from critics and fans alike.
In just three years, CMTRF has raised $10 million and funded 12 projects, with two currently in the preclinical stage. Its Scientific Advisory Board evaluates every project based on its potential for both clinical and commercial success and a team of scientists collaborate and monitor projects through completion, follow-on funding, regulatory action, and eventually, clinical trials. All CMTRF-funded projects milestones and a negotiated potential return on investment to ensure the continued availability of funding for CMT research until every type has a cure.
“It will take money, awareness, collaborative scientists, and state-of-the-art technology to advance drug discovery for this disease. At CMTRF our clinicians and scientific advisors are optimistic that we are closer than ever before to a therapeutic breakthrough for CMT,” said Pat Livney, CMTRF Co-founder and Chairman of the Board.
The CMT Research Foundation (CMTRF) is focused solely on delivering treatments and cures for CMT. Founded by two patients who are driven to expedite drug delivery to people who live with CMT globally, the organization funds research for drug development. The 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt organization is supported by personal and corporate financial gifts.
*Charcot-Marie-Tooth encompasses a group of inherited, chronic peripheral neuropathies that result in deterioration of peripheral nerves that control sensory information and muscle function of the foot/lower leg and hand/forearm leading to significant problems with movement, touch, and balance as it advances. CMT can vary greatly in severity, even within the same family. CMT can cause severe disability and in rare instances, even death. At the moment, there is no treatment or cure for CMT.
Alan Jackson A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and an inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Alan Jackson’s place among music’s all-time greats is part of a long line of career-defining accolades that include three CMA Entertainer of the Year honors, 30 years of membership in the Grand Ole Opry, a Billboard ranking as one of the Top 10 Country Artists of All-Time, induction to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Heritage Award as the most-performed country songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years.
The man from rural Newnan, GA has sold nearly 60-million albums worldwide, ranks as one of the 10 best-selling male vocalists of all time (rock, pop and country). He has released more than 60 singles – registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard chart-toppers). He has earned more than 150 major music industry awards – including 19 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of GRAMMYS® and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards.
Jackson – one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music – released his latest album, Where Have You Gone, last May. The 21-track collection, which topped the country album chart, features 15 songs penned solely by the music icon. He’s also the man behind one of Nashville’s most-popular tourist stops, AJ’s Good Time Bar, a four-story honky-tonk in the heart of downtown featuring daily live music and a rooftop view of Music City.
For information about CMTRF:
George Simpson | CMTRF | 203.521.0352 | [email protected]
For information about Alan Jackson and the Last Call: One More for the Road Tour:
Maurice Miner | Maurice Miner Media & Marketing | [email protected]
