When Keith Whitley passed away, not only did we lose a talented musician, but Jesse Keith Whitley lost a father.
Any chance he gets, Jesse pays tribute to his late father by covering his most beloved songs. While there is no replacing Keith, Jesse honors Keith in the best way possible, by keeping his spirit alive.
This particular performance of Jesse playing his dad’s music was at a bar in Houston in 2014. He sang the 1988 hit “When You Say Nothing At All“, which was released just one year after Jesse was born.
“When You Say Nothing At All” was written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz and is the best-known song for three different singers. Whitley took it to Number One, Alison Krauss hit the Top Ten in 1995, and Irish pop-singer Ronan Keating’s version hit Number One in the UK in 1999.
Music is in Jesse’s blood. Not only is Keith his dad, and his mom Lorrie Morgan, but his grandfather is legendary Grand Ole Opry member George Morgan.
Jesse sounds just like his dad when he sings the famous lyrics, “The smile on your face let’s me know that you need me/There’s a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me/The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall/You say it best when you say nothing at all“.
Watch the incredile tribute performance below.
