Jackie Lee Reflects on 'Long Year,' Gives Cancer Update

Jackie Lee's tear-jerking video, "Long Year," shows his battle with testicular cancer, which he was diagnosed with shortly after his mother died from ovarian cancer in 2016. The video reveals a vulnerable, sometimes scared singer, giving fans in close look at a side of him that he initially wasn't sure he was ready to share.

"When we made the video, the original idea was just like a blog, more for my family," Lee tells PopCulture.com. "I just felt it in my heart that I really wanted to always remember. And then it turned into an idea of sharing, and I was really hesitant. I had some long talks with my family about it, and then my management."

The 26-year-old wasn't sure how his fans would respond to his vulnerability, but quickly found that his song, and his story, became a message of hope for those also struggling.

"I was very nervous, honestly scared about putting it out, because I didn't know how they were going to react," admits Lee. "And the way they have been reacting, even if someone would have been negative, the amount of people who have told me, 'Hey, I'm about to start chemo next week,' or 'My mom was just diagnosed, and this video gave us a voice, it gave us encouragement,' if one person would have said that to me, it would have been worth it ... I had a couple of people tell me they feel like this song speaks for them as well, so it's been great."

Thankfully, Lee is cancer-free, and looking forward to the future with a brand-new outlook on life.

"Everything's great," says Lee. "I got the clear bill of health in January, and it's been rocking ever since then."

While Lee is now a cancer survivor, the effects of his illness remain with him, in the best way possible.

"There's little things that maybe would have made me mad before," explains Lee. "I'm 26. I'm very young still, I know. I have a lot of life to learn. But what I do know is that we're not here for a long time. Even if I live to 100, that's not a long time. I've been very blessed in my life with a great family. I get to do this. I don't understand how, going through what I went through, I could ever let my perspective change back to the way it was."

Lee's latest single, "Comeback," is quickly climbing the charts. The song, written by one of country music's reigning hitmakers, is especially meaningful to Lee after the loss of his mother.

"'Comeback,' Chris Young sent it to me," Lee says. "He wrote it. Very thankful to have that song. My Mom had written a sticky note at the end of the video, and it says, 'Comeback,' and it felt right. It felt like we should put that song out as a single."

Download both "Long Year" and "Comeback" at JackieLee.com.

Photo Credit: Instagram/jackieleemusic