‘Tennessee Whiskey’ Dad Kris Jones Makes Debut on Ellen [Watch]
Kris Jones, more popularly known as the dad in the viral video performing "Tennessee Whiskey," made his daytime television debut on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday (Jan. 19).
Jones sits down with DeGeneres and his daughter Dayla, who filmed her dad singing the tune uploaded it to YouTube where it's received more than 35 million views. The "Tennessee Whiskey" video is actually the first time Dayla has recorded her dad singing, revealing she had to convince him to do it.
A contractor in Alvarado, Texas, Jones reveals he's been musical his whole life, singing in church choir as a child and even pursued it professionally, but put his dreams on the back burner after having kids. He auditioned for both American Idol and The Voice, but got rejected both times. But his luck would change when he recently got a call from a representative from The Voice saying they want to have him on the show.
Who Is Kris Jones? Watch:
After the sit down interview with the talk show host, Jones delivers another stellar performance of the song, the first time he's ever performed on television. The appearance is made that much sweeter when DeGeneres surprises him with a $10,000 check from Shutterfly to help Jones pursue his musical passions.
"Tennessee Whiskey" was made famous when it was released as a single by country legend George Jones. Chris Stapleton turned it into a hit song when he performed the track at the 2015 CMA Awards alongside superstar Justin Timberlake. The song is also included on Stapleton's critically acclaimed album, Traveller, which helped launch the singer into stardom and earned him a Grammy Award for Best Country Album in 2016.