morgan-wallen-performs-acoustic-cover-keith-whitleys-kentucky-bluebird-video

Morgan Wallen Performs Acoustic Cover Keith Whitley’s ‘Kentucky Bluebird’: VIDEO

Morgan Wallen recently shared a post on social media to help put country music fans in the Christmas Spirit. Though the song in the video isn’t necessarily a holiday tune, Wallen is posted up by a mini Christmas tree glowing with seasonal lights. The caption of the post explains that he’s been spending so much time in the studio that wasn’t able to go all out with decorations this year. Though he did still find the time to sit down and pluck out an acoustic version of one of everybody’s favorite Keith Whitley Songs, Kentucky Bluebird.

Kentucky Bluebird might just be the late Keith Whitley’s most underrated song. Hopefully, the biggest name in country music paying tribute to the song introduces Whitley’s work to a new generation of fans. Whitley’s use of the color blue to describe a feeling is reminiscent of Elvis Presley’s iconic holiday song, Blue Christmas. It’s a fitting comparison given that today is Christmas Eve.

Revisiting Some Of Keith Whitley’s Biggest Christmas Songs

Whitley was born and raised in eastern Kentucky. He’s from the same region that has produced other country music legends like Loretta Lynn, Chris Stapleton, and Tyler Childers. Whitley and Billy Ray Cyrus also grew up just one county over from each other. Had Whitley not passed away in the prime of his career, it’s believed that he likely would have gone on to become one of the most legendary names in country music history. However, it’s still awesome to hear his music staying alive and inspiring the current generation of musicians, like Morgan Wallen. Whitley’s legacy was cemented in a big way in 2022. He was finally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, an honor that was seemingly long overdue.

His entire musical catalog is worth a deep dive into. However, a couple of Christmas songs written by Whitley really show off his exceptional depth as a songwriter. The song A Christmas Letter does a great job of capturing the essence of what Christmas is really about. The lyrics also use Santa as an example of the unselfishness that so many people exhibit this time of year. That seasonal unselfishness is founded on the idea of embracing the notion that it’s better to give than receive.

One of Keith Whitley’s other biggest holiday hits is titled There’s A New Kid In Town. The song details the story of Jesus’s birth, which is obviously the very foundation of what Christmas is about. That song has likewise inspired musicians following in Whitley’s footsteps to record their own versions of the song. Alan Jackson included the song on his 1993 Honky Tonk Christmas album. Then in 2016, Jackson was featured in Chris Young’s version of the song. That was part of his It Must Be Christmas album.