Zac Brown Band’s John Driskell Hopkins with ALS: ‘Every day is a gift’
When founding Zac Brown Band member John Driskell Hopkins was diagnosed at the end of 2021 with a terminal disease, he and his family were devastated.
But rather than wallow, he and his wife, Jennifer, found purpose in creating a Roswell-based nonprofit seeking to find a cure for the condition he was diagnosed with: the degenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Over three-plus years, the Hop on a Cure Foundation has raised more than $4 million to fund ALS research. Its second major fundraising gala is set for Oct. 18 at Trilith Studios.
“Hop on a Cure has been more successful than we ever dreamed,” said Jennifer, who lives in Marietta with John and their three daughters. “It’s a lot of work. We have a small staff. But it’s amazing how everything fell into place.”
While most people with ALS live only two to four years after their diagnosis, Hopkins’ disease progression has been unusually slow. He is still able to walk, talk, sing and even play guitar.
Compared to the first year after diagnosis, “I am handling things better,” John said. “I am sure that has something to do with my slow progression. I’m definitely taking it one day at a time. The disease can change course in an instant. I’m not taking anything for granted.”
Over time, he has had to grapple with strength, speed and balance issues. Hopkins uses a walking stick at the airport because “I’m prone to tripping and falling.” All his movements have slowed, he said, so he has to set aside extra time for everything from dressing to showering. “I drop something every day,” he said.
Jennifer ensures he eats well, focused on a vegan diet. “We make our own bread,” she said.
Nic Shefrin, who runs Hop on a Cure, said death is always a dark specter in her job. “I have a front-row seat to a show nobody wants to watch,” she said. “There is no cure, and we know how this show ends for so many people in the community.”
She said her staff carries that emotional weight every day. “We’ll sometimes joke, ‘It’s Tuesday. Someone hasn’t cried yet this week?’”
As for John, Shefrin has heard him call himself a “unicorn in the ALS community.”
“People look at him and think he must have access to something special,” she said. “That’s not true. He just happens to be a slow progresser.”
John tries to focus on the positive: “I consider myself one of the lucky ones. Every day is a gift.”
John said he would be far worse off without his wife by his side.
They dated at Florida State University, but he was not ready to commit, so she moved to South Florida to pursue interior design while he jumped into music. They didn’t see each other for 12 years.
John joined the Zac Brown Band in 2005 as bass guitarist, songwriter and vocalist. They toured tirelessly around the Southeast and were on the brink of breaking it big in 2007 when he reconnected with Jennifer. They met in Fort Lauderdale, where their feelings for each other reignited with such vigor, she immediately broke up with her fiance.
John and Jennifer quickly married and had their first child as ZBB’s first big hit, “Chicken Fried,” was racing up the charts. They had two more daughters as ZBB became a huge national act, collecting 14 No. 1 Billboard country airplay hits and three Grammy Awards while touring arenas and stadiums. `
“It sounds so hokey,” Jennifer said, “but I just think he’s my person.”
John agrees: “I can’t imagine going through this life without her, and that has nothing to do with my diagnosis. I don’t deserve her, and I thank God for her every single day.”
Shefrin said working for the Hopkinses is a treasure because “they both have giant hearts. She also has a fiery passion. You can’t help but admire someone who is truly fighting to keep her husband alive.”
Coy Bowles, a longtime ZBB bandmate who considers Hopkins a “guiding force” in his own life, said Jennifer “is just a joy to be around. As far as relationships go, it’s very deep, very much based on death til us part. I get a lump in my throat thinking about it. She’s been such an anchor for him in so many ways.”
Bowles said Hopkins’ courage to be so public about seeking a cure for ALS is something he couldn’t match. “If I had ALS,” he said, “I’d buy a house on a lake and sign off.”
Hopkins has taken the role of spokesperson about the disease with ease. “When people get diagnosed, they can call him,” Bowles said. “He can welcome them to the community. He’s a natural-born leader. He is a beacon of hope.”
Hope, Shefrin said, is the operative word because she is seeing research they are funding that is opening the door to a possible cure. “We are seeing progress,” she said. At the same time, they can’t fund every proposal, and federal government cutbacks are hurting research capacity as well, she said.
“We are constantly working to get the word out,” Hopkins said. “ALS is not incurable. ALS is grossly underfunded. We are in constant communication with doctors from all over the world and evaluating where our funding can make the most impact.”
The gala, Shefrin said, is more farmhouse casual than formal, befitting Hopkins’ vibe.
“My husband doesn’t want to wear a tux ever,” Jennifer said. “We like it comfortable.”
Artists such as Cyndi Thomson, Eric Paslay and Kristian Bush of Sugarland are expected to perform.
“It will be jeans and a room full of beautiful music and heartfelt connection,” Shefrin said. “You’ll leave feeling you’ve gotten to know John and Jenn and understand the needs of the ALS community.”
Last year’s event raised $1.2 million, and the organizers hope to exceed that figure this year.
Hopkins continues to tour with ZBB, which is preparing for shows at the Sphere in Las Vegas in December and January.
The band, he said, has been amazingly supportive and takes care of him while on tour. They actively promote his charity at every concert they do with Hop on a Cure merchandise, QR donation codes on screen and videos.
“I’ve had to modify a few of my guitar parts,” Hopkins said. “I can’t run around onstage. My voice is strong, but my lips are slow. At the end of the day, I’m still singing it, so I’m still bringing it!”
Bowles said whenever he watches Hopkins onstage, he marvels at his determination and grit.
“For him to be so vulnerable in front of thousands of people, to say, ‘This is who I am. Nothing is going to stop me!’” Bowles said. “That is the most rock and roll thing to do, the most rebellious thing you can ever do: walking out there less than how you would like to be.”
If you go
Harmony for Hope: Defeating ALS
5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 18. Tickets start at $500. Town Stage at Trilith Studios, 25 Shepperton Way, Fayetteville. hoponacure.org
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
