Zac Brown Band’s John Driskell Hopkins is ‘chasing the clock’ after ALS diagnosis
John Driskell Hopkins told Fox News Digital that he’s been trying to fit in as much as possible since his diagnosis in 2021.
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Zac Brown Band’s John Driskell Hopkins is opting to look at his ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) diagnosis in a different light and is trying to make everyday count.
Over a decade after the Ice Bucket Challenge surfaced on social media, it is making a comeback. During an interview with Fox News Digital about the challenge, Hopkins explained that after his diagnosis in 2021, he’s been “chasing the clock” ever since.
“I’m almost busier now than I was before because I’m trying to get so much done. I’m tryin’ to fit it all in. I’m taking more family vacations. I’m in the studio more than I should be. I’m still on tour with Zac Brown Band right now. You know, my fingers work. My voice works, it’s been compromised, but most of the set, no one would notice,” Hopkins, a founding member of Zac Brown Band, said.
John Driskell Hopkins of Zac Brown Band was diagnosed with ALS in 2021.(Derek White/ for The Recording Academy)
He continued, “And I’m playing different things on stage, but they still don’t make sense. You know, I’m chasing the clock more than I ever have been. And what I worry about is that that is causing me stress, which might be exacerbating my condition. So it’s a bit of a catch-22, you know, I’ve created.”
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Acknowledging the reality of his diagnosis, Hopkins said that he’s looking toward the future where he might not be able to sing.
“I hope that my progression continues to be slow and that I can sing for a long time, but who knows?” he said.
In 2014, Hopkins and the Zac Brown Band participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on social media – years before his diagnosis. At the time, Hopkins had no idea what the disease was, let alone that he would be diagnosed one day.
“I’m chasing the clock more than I ever have been.”
— John Driskell Hopkins
“I didn’t even know what it was. I mean, I think a lot of people in the band that did the challenge with me understood that it was neurological and fatal, but we didn’t have any clue as to how it affected the body more,” he began.
“Certainly not how cases were increasing. I mean, we have seen an explosion of neurodegenerative diseases and I can only, generally point to maybe its toxicity. You know, maybe in the world where we’re just consuming a lot more things that are doing us harm. That’s all I can guess. But I would have never thought… I was indestructible in 2014, you know?”
With several notable public figures recently diagnosed with ALS, the Ice Bucket Challenge has begun resurfacing across social media. Hop and his team at Hop On A Cure have now joined in, sharing their own Ice Bucket Challenge video and passing the challenge on to fellow ALS organizations, as well as the Zac Brown Band.
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Hopkins told Fox News Digital he’s glad the trend has come back around this summer. Hopkin’s nonprofit organization and the Zac Brown Band posted videos on Instagram in July participating in the challenge.
“It’s very popular, and it’s fun in the summer. It’s been a really hot summer this year, all over the world. And we were in London with 95 degree days, and they never see that,” Hopkins said.
John Driskell Hopkins and wife Jennifer started the nonprofit, Hop On a Cure, in 2022.(Emilee Chinn/Cincinnati Reds)
When asked how he’s been able to stay strong during his diagnosis, Hopkins told Fox News Digital that he doesn’t feel strong at all.
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“I don’t feel strong, people often ask me where my strength comes from, but I feel incredibly weak, not just physically. You know, I’m an actor, I have a theater degree, so I’m acting strong,” he said.
Hopkins was diagnosed with ALS just before Christmas in 2021 and announced his diagnosis in May 2022. After his diagnosis, Hopkins and his wife, Jennifer, founded the nonprofit organization, Hop On A Cure, to help accelerate research to prevent, reverse and ultimately cure ALS while also raising awareness and supporting families affected by the disease.
At the time of his diagnosis, Hopkins emphasized that his disease had been slowly progressing, allowing him to continue touring and performing with the band.
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During his interview with Fox News Digital, Hopkins said he’s in a different position than 99% of ALS patients because he is still able to plan for the next calendar year.
John Driskell Hopkins feels fortunate to still be planning for 2027 amid his ALS diagnosis.(ANGELA WEISS/AFP
“The fact that I still see next year in my future puts me in a different position than 99.9% of ALS patients. The fact that I’m looking to my calendar for ’27. I’m gonna be at the 30a Songwriters Festival ’27, and maybe I won’t be able to sing what I can now, but maybe I will, you know, we just don’t know, and I appreciate you recognizing that reaction as strength, but to me, it’s getting up every day that I can and doing what I do,” Hopkins concluded.
