It began with a lullaby.

Shooter Jennings, the son of country music legend Waylon Jennings and acclaimed singer Jessi Colter, remembers lying in bed as a boy in Nashville, listening to his mother hum melodies older than the hills. “She didn’t just sing songs,” Jennings said at a press conference on Monday. “She wrapped my world in them.”

That memory is the beating heart of his latest project — a philanthropic endeavor that has already been hailed as one of the most heartfelt commitments to music education in recent years. Jennings has launched the “Lullaby of My Mother” Scholarship, a fully funded program that will cover all costs of music education for orphaned children who dream of becoming musicians.

The program will provide not only tuition for lessons and classes but also instruments, sheet music, travel expenses to music camps, and even mentoring from industry professionals. “When you lose your parents, you lose not only love but access,” Jennings explained. “Access to opportunities, to resources, to the kind of guidance that helps you turn a spark into a flame. I want this scholarship to be that missing piece for some kid out there who just needs a chance.”

A Project Born from Pain and Memory

Jennings, 46, said the idea first came to him late one night in 2023 after playing a benefit concert for foster youth in Texas. “I was backstage and met this 12-year-old girl who played the fiddle better than I’ve ever heard,” he recalled. “But she told me she might have to quit because she couldn’t afford new strings. I couldn’t get that out of my head. It broke my heart.”

That night, he found himself remembering the old wooden rocking chair in his mother’s room, the way she would softly sway while singing him to sleep. “Music was my mother’s gift to me, and in a way, it was her protection,” Jennings said, his voice catching. “It kept me grounded through the chaos of life, through losing my dad, through every challenge.”

The scholarship’s name is both a tribute and a promise. “The lullaby is symbolic,” he explained. “It’s the first music you hear in your life, usually from someone who loves you more than anyone else. I want these kids, even without parents, to still have that love in some form — through music.”

How It Works

The “Lullaby of My Mother” Scholarship will be administered in partnership with several national music education nonprofits, including Little Kids Rock and the Country Music Hall of Fame’s education program. Applications will open in early fall, and candidates can be nominated by teachers, social workers, or foster parents.

Funding will be tiered based on age and skill level:

• Beginner level: Complete starter kits, including instruments, lessons, and accessories.

• Intermediate level: Advanced training with professional musicians, performance opportunities, and songwriting workshops.

• Advanced level: Full scholarships to music academies, recording sessions, and career mentorship.

The program will initially serve 50 children in its first year, but Jennings said he hopes to expand nationally by year three. “I don’t want this to be a one-off feel-good story,” he emphasized. “I want it to be an institution.”

The Personal Investment

Jennings has pledged to personally fund the first year of scholarships from his own earnings, supplemented by revenue from a special benefit album he plans to record with guest artists. All proceeds from merchandise related to the project — including vinyl reissues, T-shirts, and even handwritten lyric sheets — will go directly into the scholarship fund.

Several big names have already expressed interest in contributing, though Jennings declined to name them until commitments are finalized. “I’m not surprised people want to help,” he said. “Musicians know the power of a break — that one moment or one person who believed in them. This is about being that person for someone else.”

Reactions from the Music World

The announcement has drawn praise from across the industry. Country singer Kacey Musgraves tweeted: “Shooter has always been the real deal. This is what country music should stand for — heart, hope, and giving back.”

Music educator Daniel Greene, who works with underserved youth in Memphis, called the initiative “transformative.” “Too often, talented kids in the foster system are overlooked because they’re moving from home to home,” Greene said. “Shooter’s program could literally change the trajectory of a child’s life.”

Even fans have begun organizing grassroots fundraising efforts. Within 48 hours of the announcement, a GoFundMe page created by a fan club in Oklahoma had raised over $18,000 to support the scholarship.

Jennings’ Message to the Children

During his press conference, Jennings addressed the children who might one day benefit from the program: “If you’ve ever been told your dream is too big, or that you’re not good enough, I want you to ignore it. Music belongs to everyone — and so does your voice. You’re not alone.”

He shared his own struggles with doubt as a young man, trying to step out from the shadow of his father’s towering legacy. “It took me years to realize that my path didn’t have to look like anyone else’s. I want these kids to know that too — their story matters, and so does their song.”

Looking Ahead

The first group of recipients will be announced next spring, and Jennings plans to hold an annual concert where the scholarship winners will perform alongside established artists. “It’s about more than just paying for lessons,” he said. “It’s about building a community where these kids feel seen, supported, and celebrated.”

When asked how his mother might feel about the scholarship, Jennings smiled. “She’d probably cry — and then tell me to make sure the kids learned the old songs too. She believed in tradition, but also in letting your soul shine through. That’s what I hope this becomes — a place where tradition and new voices meet.”

In a music industry often criticized for chasing commercial trends, Jennings’ move feels like a reminder of the deeper roots of the art form — the human need to be heard, the healing power of a song, and the simple, enduring magic of a lullaby.

“It’s funny,” he mused near the end of the event. “The world can feel pretty loud these days, but the most important things I ever heard came in the quiet — just me, my mom, and a melody. I want every kid in this program to have their own version of that moment. Because sometimes, a song can save you.”

And with that, Shooter Jennings walked offstage — not into the spotlight of his next tour, but into the work of making sure the next generation of voices can rise, strong and unshaken, into their own light.