By the time he was only 24 years old, Jackie Lee had experienced both great happiness and great sadness in his life. He released his debut single, “She Does,” in 2014, which broke into the Top 50 of the Billboard country chart and earned favorable reviews.
He had yet another reason to celebrate when his second single, “Headphones,” also experienced chart popularity.
The success of Lee’s two singles allowed him to start working on his first album, which is yet to be released. Lee’s growing popularity in country music also led to an invitation from the Grand Ole Opry to make his debut on the famous stage.
Lee performed at the Opry for the first time in September 2015, but it was his performance there on June 18, 2016 that left a lasting impression on all in attendance.
Just two weeks before Lee’s Opry performance, he lost his mother, LaDonna Midkiff, who passed away following a private battle with cancer.
Fighting back tears, Lee told the Opry crowd of how much his mother loved him, his siblings, and his father. He then invited his father, brother, and sister to join him on stage, saying “If there is one thing that my mom loved more in this entire world, is to hear us sing together, and so we’re gonna sing for her tonight.“
With Lee’s father on piano, his sister beside him, and his brother singing along, Lee proceeded to introduce his next song, Brooks & Dunn‘s “Believe.” Lee dedicated the emotional song to his mother before he started singing, saying, “We’re gonna sing for her tonight.“
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Lee’s passionate performance of “Believe” drew everyone in from the start, as they gave him their undivided attention. No one made a sound throughout the entire performance, but we’re sure there weren’t many dry eyes in the crowd.
With tears in his own eyes, Lee told the familiar and emotional story of old man Wrigley and how his faith helped him remain strong during times of great loss. The tale echoes that of Lee’s situation, which is perhaps why he was able to put forth such a passionate performance of the song.
Lee’s father and brother added to the beauty of the performance with their stunning harmonies to his melody. The moments when all three of them sing together are chill-inducing, and may even bring tears to your eyes as well.
You can see a clip of Lee’s heartfelt performance of “Believe” in the video below. We think his mom would be so proud of him.