Who is Zac Brown Band member John Driskell Hopkins?
THE ZAC BROWN BAND is an award-winning country music group formed in 2002.
Back in May 2022, band member John Driskell Hopkins announced his ALS diagnosis in a video shared on YouTube and has since given an update on his health journey.
Who is John Driskell Hopkins?
Born on May 3, 1971, John Driskell Hopkins - primarily known as Hop - is a native of Gainesville, Georgia.
He graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor's degree in Theatre back in 1993.
Hop began performing as a musician in college, leading a band known as The Woodpeckers.
He moved to Atlanta and formed the band Brighter Shade in 1996.
Around the same time, Hop met fellow musician Zac Brown for the first time. The two formed a close bond, and Hop joined the Zac Brown Band in 2005.
The 52-year-old continues to work with other bands throughout his career - Balsam Range and The Bloody Wolves of Venice being two of them.
When did John Driskell Hopkin reveal he has ALS?
On May 20, 2022, in a video shared on the , John Driskell Hopkins officially announced his ALS diagnosis.
"I have tough news to share … over the past several years, I've noticed some balance issues and some stiffness in my hands," Hop began.
"After careful analysis by some of the country's top neurologists, I have been diagnosed with ALS."
Hop continued: "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."
With his diagnosis revealed, Hop launched an ALS charity fund called .
"My voice is being affected and that's something that I really notice as a singer, but I'm still playing and I'm still performing and still singing."
Hop added: "I was never a very good dancer, so that's not a big deal. But I do miss jumping on stage and being able to run around and act a fool.
"So that part, it would be lovely to get some of that back, but that's not really in the ALS cards, you don't really get things back. So we're trying to do everything we can to maintain and take it day by day."
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare neurological condition nicknamed after baseball legend Lou Gehrig.
Gehrig died in 1941, just two years after he was diagnosed with the condition.
ALS is an incurable fatal neuromuscular disease that affects voluntary muscles in the body.
Progressive muscle weakness leads to paralysis and eventually death. The disease attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Motor neurons, which control the movement of voluntary muscles, deteriorate and cause stiffness, twitching, and weakness.
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Due to its adverse effects on the body, ALS eventually leads to difficulties speaking, swallowing, and breathing.
Eventually, the condition causes complete paralysis, and patients often die from respiratory failure.