Zac Brown Band’s John Driskell Hopkins isn’t done rocking out more than three years after being diagnosed with ALS.
“Just the fact that I’m speaking to you and walking around and able to still sing and play is kind of unheard of in the averages of this disease,” Hopkins, 54 — known to fans as Hop — exclusively told Us Weekly while supporting his Hop on a Cure charity. “So we’re very grateful and doing everything we can to stay on top of it.”
Although he was diagnosed with the nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord in December 2021, he hasn’t stopped touring with the Zac Brown Band.
In addition, he’s still making music and celebrating the release of his new song titled “I Love You Forever.”
“I think singing actually helps me, just the act of doing,” he explained to Us. “Sometimes, I will be having a bad voice day on the talking side, and I will have a gig and have to sing, and everything goes great. It’s really odd how the mind works like that, but I feel like being able to continue is helping me continue.”
Ever since Hop was diagnosed with ALC, Zac Brown and his band have rallied around the musician.
In fact, Hopkins joked that everyone in the band is reaching out to lend a hand “whether I want them to or not.”
“I need stability,” he explained while marking ALS Awareness Month. “Often I lovingly slap their hands away and say, ‘I’ll ask when I need it,’ but they’re all family and they totally get it.”
As the group continues hitting the road for a summer tour — where they promise to perform the hits like “Chicken Fried” and “Knee Deep” — Hopkins has found time to create a new song dedicated to his wife, Jennifer Hopkins, and their three children.
Titled “I Love You Forever,” the track came to be after Hopkins tried to find the words to tell his kids he was diagnosed with ALS.
“The only thing I could think of was, ‘What do I say to my girls that will wrap everything up in one phrase? What if I’m not able to communicate?’” he recalled. “‘I Love You Forever’ was the only thing that made sense. I’ve turned the song into a bit of a fatherly advice piece.”
Hopkins is quick to call his three daughters “amazing” individuals who continue to support dad in every way.
“They always ask if I’m struggling with a step or a treacherous part of an outdoor activity. They’re ready to help me,” he said. “We remain busy with their schedules and we don’t always have time to think about my instability, but I’m still able to drive them to activities and their lives, fortunately, haven’t changed much as a result of this.”
Hopkins is quick to give thanks to his doctors for being open minded and eager to explore new treatment plans.
He also continues to have a positive outlook on his life and what’s to come with ALS research.
“Every day is precious, and no one knows when their time on earth is going to be finished,” he said. “You’re not next until you’re next. There’s no point in worrying about when that day comes … Every day is a gift.”
