What Is Going on With Country Artist Clay Walker’s Health? Details
Clay made his country music debut in 1993 courtesy of the hit song “What’s It To You.”
Published July 1 2025, 2:16 p.m. ET
Many celebrities are very open as they embark on specific health journeys after being diagnosed with a certain illness, and country artist Clay Walker is one of them. After publicly sharing his medical conditions dating back to the mid-'90s, Clay is making headlines again due to a medical procedure.
Clay made his country music debut in 1993 courtesy of the hit song “What’s It To You,” which climbed to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Country charts.
What is going on with Clay Walker’s health?
In June 2025, Clay canceled a concert in Hot Springs, Ark., due to experiencing side effects from an undisclosed medical procedure, according to Taste of Country.
”Dear friends & country music fans, I recently had a procedure that could really help my MS … Unfortunately, I’ve got some side effects that have left me unable to perform tonight at Timberwood Amphitheater in Hot Springs, Ark.,” Clay wrote in an Instagram message.
”I really tried my best to pull through for you all, which is why I waited until this morning to make this call,” the message continued. “I look forward to returning to Arkansas soon, and I’m bummed to miss you all tonight. We will see everyone back out on the road soon!”
What has Clay said about his multiple sclerosis diagnosis?
In 1996, Clay publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 26. "My only negative reaction when I found out I had multiple sclerosis was that I might not be able to walk my daughter down the aisle," he said in a 2006 interview with Brain and Life. "Being able to do that is very important to me. I think of that quite often, and that is my goal."
"I don't sweat the small stuff anymore," Clay said at the time. "It takes a lot to rock my world, and I can shut down if I feel like I'm getting really stressed out. It's self-discipline you learn from having this. Once you know you have your life, then nothing else really matters. Now I ask myself, 'Is this a life-or-death situation?' And if it's not, then I can get through it. MS has slowed me down, but my career is skyrocketing. It slowed me down to take things in."
Clay also explained that he was initially scared after reading about MS symptoms, but shared that seeing a medical professional who expertly explained his condition helped ease his fears and concerns.
"After reading all these debilitating symptoms and what I had to look forward to with this chronic disease, I thought, 'Oh my gosh.' That's why it's so important to get a neurologist who's an MS specialist," he told the outlet.
"It takes a lot to conquer this disease,” Clay added. “I don't think conquering it means curing it — I think it means not letting it break your spirits. The spirit is what keeps us going, and I think the spirit is what we need to find a cure for this."