Jesse Keith Whitley Says He's Sober After Being Hospitalized amid Health Scare: 'I Feel Fantastic'
- - Jesse Keith Whitley Says He's Sober After Being Hospitalized amid Health Scare: 'I Feel Fantastic'
Rachel DeSantisDecember 30, 2025 at 9:35 PM
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Jason Davis/WireImage
Jesse Keith Whitley performing in Nashville in 2015. -
Jesse Keith Whitley revealed his is sober after a health scare
He said his health is now "rock solid" amid his sobriety
Jesse's father Keith Whitley died of alcohol poisoning in 1989
Jesse Keith Whitley, the son of country stars Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan, is opening up about his newfound sobriety after a health scare.
Jesse, 38, revealed in a Facebook post on Sunday, Dec. 28 that he is now sober and focused on his faith one month after he was hospitalized with pancreatitis — and 36 years after his famous father died of alcohol poisoning.
“A month ago today I was in a pretty rough spot health wise and faith wise… That night, I ended up in the emergency room. It was serious,” he wrote.
The musician said he was bedridden for about a week and in “the worst pain” of his life, and during the difficult stretch, promised he would stick with religion if he could get through his health struggle. Jesse went on to write that he’s done just that, and his health is now “rock solid” amid his new sobriety.
"I feel fantastic waking up in the mornings not hurting or looking for the fix that afternoon,” he wrote.
Jesse thanked his wife Kristen for “taking care of me during my down time and giving me the strength to get back on my feet and go head forth,” as well as his children for “loving me at my rock bottom” and giving him the “motivation to become the best father I can be.”
He also expressed gratitude toward his mother, 66, and his sister Morgan, 45, who “knew but didn’t know the battle I was actually fighting” and for “always loving me.”
Jesse has been vocal about his desire to preserve the legacy of his father, who was just 34 years old when he died of alcohol poisoning in 1989.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Keith Whitley in 1984
In 2022, Keith was inducted posthumously into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Jesse spoke at the ceremony.
“He’s got the best sad songs and love songs ever,” he said. “If you want a history lesson in country music, that’s who you need to listen to.”
Morgan, meanwhile, said her late husband “never knew how good he was.”
"He never accepted that he could have a great record deal, or he could have as much as anybody else had in this industry," she said while accepting the honor. "He would be absolutely blown away if he were here today. He would be saying that surely they got it wrong."
In May, Morgan, Jesse and other members of their family visited Keith’s grave to mark the 36th anniversary of his death. The visit came just weeks before Morgan was widowed a second time following the death of Randy White, her husband of nearly 15 years.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
