Jesse Keith Whitley treated the crowd of fans at his mom’s restaurant, Lorrie Morgan’s Spicy Hot Chicken Coop, in Panama City Beach, Florida with a rendition of his father’s famous 1988 hit song and treasured classic “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” And to make the evening more memorable for everyone, he brought out his son Jackie on stage to sing it with him.
Donning a cowboy hat, little Jackie confidently walked onto the stage to his dad, who was then sitting on a stool with his guitar. The two exchanged whispers then Jackie said hi to the crowd, which brought out some laughs from the audience. And when they started performing the song together, the audience was definitely captivated. At some point, the young Whitley was even given his own stool beside his dad so he could sing better and louder. The performance ended with a lot of applause and appreciation for the father and son.
RELATED: Keith Whitley’s Timeless Classic Hit “Don’t Close Your Eyes”
“Don’t Close Your Eyes” was written by Bob McDill and recorded by country music artist Keith Whitley as the third track off of his same-titled album. It soared to number one on the US Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and was awarded as the number-one country single in 1988. The song has also been covered by a number of country greats, including Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks. And what also made this song extra memorable to many was that it was part of the last album that the singer released before he untimely passed away due to an alcohol overdose in 1989.
But Keith Whitley’s music still lives on with his son Jesse who followed in his footsteps as a country singer. And it looks like we’re seeing a next-in-line.
Catch Jesse Keith Whitley’s cover version of “Don’t Close Your Eyes” with his son Jackie in the video below.