When it comes to new country artists, it’s somewhat of a filtering process to find someone who can embark on a musical journey that embraces the true roots of traditional country music while keeping things fresh in the industry.

Among the new emerging artists in country music is none other than Jesse Keith Whitley, the son of Opry legend Lorrie Morgan and the namesake for his father, the late country singer Keith Whitley.

He has not only followed in their footsteps but is paving his own road to success.

He is a ghostly image of the late Keith Whitley, but make no mistake about it; he has carved his own image in his musical identity.

Jesse Keith Whitley and his mother, country music star Lorrie Morgan

Jesse released his debut album just last year titled “Kentucky Thunder”.

The title track blends fact and fiction about the past overindulgence of whiskey that three different generations in his family partook in.

Though the factual parts of this song could be debated and perhaps could be deemed as inappropriate (considering his father had died of alcohol poisoning) the song is a decent blend of honky-tonk and southern rock.

Another song worth mentioning that I suggest purchasing is a song titled “Saving Amy”, a song written by Brantley Gilbert, another country singer who has seen great success at the top of the country charts lately.

Nothing will yank on your heart’s strings like Jesse Keith Whitley’s cover of his father’s song, “Don’t Close Your Eyes”.

Singing backup on this track is his mother, Lorrie Morgan.

He keeps the musical interludes that the original song encompassed, and brings to the table his own sound in singing.

This was an appreciative factor, considering it would have been easy to piggyback the same vocal sounds that his father brought to the country music world back in the late 1980’s.

The music business can be a biased trade, and with forged entertainers sweeping stages and air waves with catalyst movements, it is nice to see a true talent that has not been manufactured for society.

Though none of his singles have made it to the #1 spot on the charts yet, there is still a relatively large amount of hope to be seen from this young protégé.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and this singer won’t be living in the shadows of his parents.

Rating: A+