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90s Country Star Felled By Alzheimer’s

Hal Ketchum is a free spirit, and was always a super nice guy.  I first met him in the early 1990s when he was doing the radio rounds promoting his…

AUSTIN, TX – NOVEMBER 12: Hal Ketchum helps Mojo Nixon Celebrate His 10 Year Anniversary On SiriusXM with A special live show at the SiriusXM Studios on November 12, 2014 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Gary Miller / Stringer-Getty Images

Hal Ketchum is a free spirit, and was always a super nice guy.  I first met him in the early 1990s when he was doing the radio rounds promoting his debut (and BIGGEST single), "Small Town Saturday Night."

He had a couple of other big songs:  "Past the Point of Rescue" and a remake of "Five O'clock World."

Well, we got some sad news this morning. Hal Ketchum's wife has posted online that Hal is suffering from Alzheimers and can not perform any more. She did go on to report that he is happy and healthy otherwise.

For those of us who have had family members suffer from this, we know the road ahead is not easy.

Our best wishes.

Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.