Country music star Jennifer Nettles of the now-duo Sugarland shared some sad news over Father’s Day weekend. In a heartbreaking, emotional post, Nettles revealed that her father passed away last month.
“I’m often private about certain sacred pieces of my life and I share them as, and if, I am ready,” she explained in an Instagram post. “My daddy, Beamon Nettles, died last month on May 14.”
She went on to share some touching and vulnerable memories about her father in the caption of her video. “He was a precious, quiet soul who made his way gently in the world. And it is so strange and unreal that he is not here.” In the video itself, she sang Merle Haggard’s “The Way I Am” accompanied by acoustic guitar.
“This song was his favorite song,” she shared. “I have a vivid memory of him playing it on 45, singing along as I fell asleep at my grandmother’s (“Boo-ma”) house. ‘The Way I Am’ by Merle Haggard. I sang it at his funeral.
Happy Father’s Day Daddy. You are loved and missed,” she added.
Nettles concluded her post by writing, “Hold your Loves close. I hope everyone had a beautiful day. And thank you to all the fathers out there.”
Outsider-Approved Songs When You’re Missing Your Dad
Many of us spent Father’s Day like Jennifer Nettles, missing our dads who were gone from us too soon. On our Father’s Day playlist, there was a special section just for those out there who have lost their fathers. Songs from contemporary artists like Luke Bryan and Cole Swindell; plus some classics from Conway Twitty, Neil Young, and Alan Jackson.
My favorite pick was “There You’ll Be” by Faith Hill. Originally written and performed for the 2001 film “Pearl Harbor,” the song is a keen reminder that our loved ones live on in our hearts after they pass. Faith Hill sings, In my heart there’ll always be a place for you for all my life; if we keep the memory of our loved ones with us, they’ll never truly be gone. We keep them alive in our memories, through sharing thoughts about them like Jennifer Nettles did in her social media post, or visiting their resting places, or walking by a photo of them and taking the time to look, touch, reflect.
I also included Alan Jackson’s “Drive (For Daddy Gene),” a must-listen for any fan of country music in general, but especially those missing a loved one. “Drive” is Jackson’s tribute to his dad teaching him how to drive a boat and a truck, and Jackson’s hopes that his daughters have the same memories about him.
Jackson told Billboard in 2001, “After my daddy died, I wanted to write something for him. I tried a couple of times, and I always ended up writing some sad, dying song. I didn’t want to do that—I wanted to write something nice. Daddy didn’t say much, [but one of] the things he really gave me is my love for cars, and this whole song is a bunch of facts, really.”
