I’ve said it many times, but if Keith Whitley hadn’t tragically passed away at the age of 34 in 1989, he would go down in history as one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, legend in country music.
In a career that spanned only 5 years after the release of his first album, and only releasing two albums and an EP before his death, Keith Whitley managed to become one of the greatest country singers of all time.
And his son, Jesse Keith Whitley, is a singer and songwriter himself, working to try and carry on his dad’s legacy.
Jesse Keith is, of course, the son of Whitley and another country music legend, Lorrie Morgan.
And in this 2011 video, he pays tribute to both his mother and his father when he brings his mom on stage for a performance of his dad’s “Tell Lorrie I Love Her.”
The song was originally recorded only as a “work tape” for a friend to sing at Whitley’s wedding to Morgan. But after Whitley’s untimely death, the sparse recording, featuring Whitley’s vocals accompanied only by a guitar, was released for the first time on a 1990 Greatest Hits album, and instantly became a fan favorite.
Before his performance, Jesse Keith says that he’s performing the song for his mom, but dedicating it from his late father to his mother.
It was clearly an emotional moment for both mother and son, as you can see Morgan tearing up as she watches her son perform her late husband’s song – a song that Lorrie admitted she listened to on repeat on the way to his funeral.