Keeping Music Alive Through the Friends of Keith Whitley Scholarship
Pamela Hall
The Ashland Beacon
The Friends of Keith Whitley is a nonprofit organization comprised of Keith’s brother, Dwight and his wife Flo Whitley, and several close friends and professional affiliates. The purpose of the organization is to keep the legacy, memory, and music of Keith Whitley alive and honor his extraordinary talent and musicianship through scholarships given in Keith’s memory. Historically, the scholarship has been given to a student at Elliott County High School in Sandy Hook, from which Keith, and also Dwight and Flo Whitley, graduated.
This year, for the first time, due to a generous endowment from some loyal friends and fans, The Friends of Keith Whitley organization was able to expand the scholarship to include schools in Carter and Boyd counties. To apply for the scholarship, students were required to submit an essay about the part that music has played in their lives and what their musical goals are.
The recipient of The Friends of Keith Whitley 2023 Scholarship in Boyd County is Jackson Lawson from Ashland Paul G. Blazer High School. He was presented the scholarship at the school’s senior awards ceremony on May 24 by Pamela Hall, a member of the Board of Directors of the organization.
Jackson became involved in music in the sixth grade when he joined band at school. He chose the tuba as his instrument, but also took strings classes as well. Music quickly became an important part of Jackson’s life. As a result, he now plays not only the tuba, but saxophone, viola, upright bass, and electric bass as well.
“My love of music has continued to grow,” Jackson stated in his submission essay. “Marching band has played a critical role in becoming successful in music. It required a lot of practice, dedication, and work, and created an excitement within me to play better and learn as much as possible.”
In working toward that endeavor, Jackson has participated in jazz band, as well as district band and other band and string clinics. He has attended several band camps, including the Foster Music Camp held at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. He also participated in Kentucky All-State Band, All-State Jazz Band, and All-State Symphony.
“I’ve worked to seek out music opportunities whenever possible,” Jackson explained in the essay. “I have gotten to perform at local restaurants, cafes, churches, and even a wedding.”
In addition to attending school and playing music, Jackson has also held two part-time jobs and purchased his own vehicle while maintaining a 3.0 or higher grade point average.
“Dwight and I were so impressed with not only Jackson’s musical accomplishments thus far but also his work ethic,” Flo Whitley said. “We are proud to present him with this scholarship in memory of Keith.”
Jackson plans to attend Morehead State University this fall to study… you guessed it, music education.
“I look forward to learning more, and one day teaching others to love music,” Jackson said. “Thank you for The Friends of Keith Whitley Scholarship.”
Congratulations to Jackson Lawson for being the recipient of The Friends of Keith Whitley Scholarship. There’s no doubt that he’ll do Keith proud!