Jason and Brittany Aldean Open Up About Her Dad’s Dementia

For the past few years, Jason Aldean‘s family has been quietly dealing with a close family member’s painful health decline. Now, as the singer prepares to release his new song “Help You Remember,” he and wife Brittany are opening up about the family tragedies that inspired it.

Aldean previously mentioned that his uncle died from Lewy body dementia, and said that another family member is currently dealing with a similar experience.

In a new social media video, Brittany reveals that that family member is her father. Brittany’s dad was diagnosed with the same disease, which she emotionally describes as “the long goodbye,” in 2022.

Her video also includes a compilation of footage of herself with her dad through the years, beginning when she was a young child and continuing through present day, with her dad spending time with her own two young kids.

“The heartache that diseases like this bring to a family is something we know all too well. We hope this song brings comfort to anyone going through something similar,” her post is captioned. Watch below.

What Illness Does Brittany Aldean’s Dad Have?

• Brittany Aldean’s father was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2022.
• In a new social media video, she says her family first started “seeing signs” of the illness in 2020.
• According to the Mayo Clinic, Lewy body dementia is the second most common form of dementia, after Alzheimer’s disease.
• The condition causes a decline in both mental and physical abilities, and it can also cause visual hallucinations and movement symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.

What Did Brittany Aldean Say About Her Dad’s Dementia?

In an emotional series of Instagram Stories slides, Brittany explained Lewy body dementia is a “horrible form” of the condition.

“Cognitively, your loved one declines, and it seems like such a slow process, but it’s quick, too. You’re just like, slowly losing your person, you know. Mourning the loss of someone who’s still alive. So it’s been a really hard thing to go through,” she described.

Why Brittany Aldean Kept Her Dad’s Dementia Diagnosis Private

Though the Aldeans share much of their lives—including their experiences at home with their kids Memphis and Navy—with the public, she emphasized that they’re “very private people,” and that they didn’t originally choose to share her dad’s diagnosis.

“But I’ve talked to my dad about this video and sharing this story, and he’s the sweetest man. He’s like, ‘If it helps one person, then it was totally worth it,'” she shared.

“So it was something I was never gonna speak on, but I just hope that if you’re out there going through something similar, you know that you’re not alone,” she continued.

READ MORE: Jason and Brittany Aldean Are Finally Releasing a Duet

Brittany also said she hopes her story shows that “you never know what people are going through,” and that it serves as a reminder for everyone to “have grace” with the people in their life.

“And any prayers for my sweet daddy would be so appreciated,” Brittany added.

What Is the Song Inspired By Brittany Aldean’s Dad’s Journey With Dementia?

Jason Aldean’s next album includes a track called “Help You Remember,” which serves as the soundtrack to the montage video of Brittany’s life with her dad.

“When Jason’s band mates wrote this song, it obviously hit home,” Brittany shared, tagging writers Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan and Lydia Vaughan along with Aldean in her post.

READ MORE: Jason Aldean Has a New Song Coming About Personal Loss

Aldean’s new album is called Songs About Us, and it’s out on April 24.

The 20-track project will lean into more mature, and in some cases heavier, subject matter, Aldean said during a conversation on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast back in September.

“The subject matter gets a little more mature, and you deal with s–t that maybe you didn’t deal with early on, or didn’t pay attention to early on in your life. And you know, now it’s a real thing,” the musician said at the time.

Jason and Brittany Aldean Are Finally Releasing a Song Together

Songs About Us also includes something fans have been clamoring for for years now: Jason Aldean’s first true duet with his wife. That song is called “Easier Gone.”

Brittany was an aspiring singer when she first met Aldean, but she’s never released any of her own music, leaving only a 2012 stint on American Idol as evidence of her musical talent. She did well enough in her audition to make it to Hollywood Week, but went no further.

Ever since they got married, fans and outlets alike have been wondering if the couple would release music together, and Aldean said several times over the years that they’d just need to find the right song.