Clay Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, commonly known as MS, in 1996, in the middle of his reign as one of the biggest country music hitmakers of the decade. The 53-year-old has learned how to cope with the disease, and its often unrelenting symptoms, while continuing to make music and tour.
“I’ve had it pretty much my whole career,” Walker reflects to Everything Nash. “There have been days, months that it’s been a big struggle, but fortunately I’ve never had to be in a wheelchair, or be bedridden. We’ve had some rough, rough, rough times, but those are the things that make us stronger.”
As part of his battle with MS, the singer is prone to attacks, which can wreak havoc on his mobility. Thankfully, Walker has learned to take control of his health to keep the attacks at a minimum.
“The first couple of times, I was very scared when stuff like that would happen,” Walker admits. “And now I’m like, it’s just part of my life. And you know, all I can do is my part. That’s what I tell everybody that’s struggling with anything. You can only do your part. It doesn’t matter if you’re struggling with addiction or problems, or you’re a teenager — you can only do your part. That’s an important thing to know. And once you realize what your part is, then you can just always look back each day and say, ‘Am I doing my part?'”
Part of what Walker does to manage his symptoms includes taking his medication, eating well and exercising, even though that isn’t always an easy task on the road.
“We keep the bus stocked with things that we need to stay healthy,” Walker tells Country Now. “We also keep what we call the T-Rex. It’s this apparatus that we hook to the outside of the trailers and we’ll do all kinds of stretches and pull-ups and presses. It’s just a great versatile piece of equipment to stay in shape.”
Walker is spending some of the fall on the road as part of a joint, co-headlining tour with Tracy Lawrence, which he hints might continue into 2023.
Walker’s latest album, Texas to Tennessee, was released in 2021. Find music and tour dates at ClayWalker.com .
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