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After nearly three decades of living with multiple sclerosis, country music star Clay Walker says his health has taken a turn.
The “She Won’t Be Lonely Long” singer says 2025 has tested his strength like never before as he faces a new wave of challenges from the disease he has battled since his 1996 diagnosis.
“[I’m] definitely going through a rough patch right now,” Walker, 56, admitted to People in an interview. “At the beginning of the year, I noticed I was having a lot of difficulty with balance and walking, and it really started to worry me. I knew I had to do something.”
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Clay Walker had surgery earlier this year to address his worsening symptoms. (Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
Walker underwent surgery in March to implant a baclofen pump — a device that delivers anti-spasticity medication directly into the spinal fluid to help relax muscles and ease stiffness, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“The surgery gave me a lot of hope,” he said. “But so far, you know, it’s not great. It hasn’t done what I wanted it to. Balance has been an issue lately.”
Doctors believe physical therapy will “dial it in properly,” yet Walker admitted recovery has been slower than he’d hoped.
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“Am I walking perfect? No. Am I walking better? Absolutely,” he said. “I got on a treadmill the other day without a harness holding me up to keep from falling, and I walked five minutes. That is progress.”
Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996 and has spent decades defying its prognosis. The disease damages the protective covering around nerves in the central nervous system, leading to symptoms like muscle weakness, numbness, vision changes and mobility issues.
Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Universal Music Group)
When Walker was first diagnosed with MS, doctors gave him a grim forecast.
“I was told that I wouldn’t be around very long and that I’d be in a wheelchair and that I would be dead pretty quickly because of the amount of lesions that I had on my spinal cord and brainstem and brain,” he recalled.
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Walker defied those odds — and now, nearly three decades later, he’s still performing, still writing and still fighting.
“We turned everything upside down,” he said. “We already won the battle, you know? We’ve got that to celebrate.”
In 2026, Walker will reach a milestone of living with multiple sclerosis for 30 years. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
In 2026, Walker will reach a milestone of living with multiple sclerosis for 30 years.
He admitted fans have seen the effects of his condition up close during live shows — something he said hasn’t been easy for him to accept.
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“Does it bother me that people have to watch me struggle to get off stage? Yes, it does,” he said. “But my band is very in tune with me, and they know if I’m struggling or not. All it takes is a glance. They are always there, especially my bass player, Curt Walsh. I’m like, ‘Dude, if you see me falling, fall in front of me so I don’t get hurt.’”
This Sunday, Walker will headline the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for the first time — a milestone that carries even more weight given his journey.
Despite the physical toll, Walker’s passion for performing keeps him going.
Walker will headline the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for the first time Nov. 9. (Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)
“My joy comes from being on stage,” he said. “I mean, there is a rush of energy and endorphins that has no comparison. I don’t think there’s any drug that has that big of an effect. It’s crazy.”
The country singerbooked a lineup of 2026 concert dates — and said his story is far from over.
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“MS has been a journey and some of it has been pretty rough, but I’ve started to turn the corner,” Walker continued to tell People. “I’m not giving up. I’m like a pit bull. You can swing me off a cliff and I ain’t letting go. So many people have so many different crosses they have to carry or bear — and this is mine.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to reps for Walker.
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