Lauren Alaina Gets Emotional Remembering Her Late Father On What Would Have Been His Sobriety Anniversary
Lauren also offered a message of hope to anyone who may be facing the same struggles as her dad.
Photos Courtesy of Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina gets vulnerable with fans in an emotional new video that captures her reflecting on the loss of her father, J.J. Suddeth, on what would have been his 13th year of sobriety.
With tears in her eyes, the songstress admitted that although this was an incredibly hard post for her to make, she wanted to do it to honor her dad, who unexpectedly passed away in July of 2024.
“Today would’ve been his 13th year of sobriety if he had made it. He passed away a little over a year ago, but he didn’t make it to his 12th year either, and I’m not even sure about his 11th. He relapsed, and It’s a major contributing factor to why he’s no longer here with us.”
Carrying this weight of knowing how much her dad struggled and the tragedy that came as a result, Lauren Alaina goes on to offer encouragement to anyone facing similar challenges.
“I just wanted to say that if you’re struggling, there are so many people who love you, and for you to love yourself and to get the help that you need and surround yourself with people who love you.”
The “All My Exes” singer choked back tears as she shared that she was choosing to spend this difficult day going through a few of her dad’s things. She decided to pick out a few of his clothes to keep and make into a blanket for her daughter, Beni Doll, who will unfortunately never get to meet her grandfather. The rest of his clothes will be donated to a veteran organization, with the intention that they might bring comfort to someone and offer the hope her father never found.
She ended with another message of resilience, pleading with her followers to “Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Life is so short. Take care of yourselves. There are people that love you. Don’t ever forget that this is a really.”
Within the caption, Alaina admitted that this day made her heart ache even more than his birthday or Father’s Day because she’s left with the reminder that this would have been a particularly celebratory event had his pain not taken his life too soon.
She wrote, “Today I choose to honor him still. He was a proud father and pawpaw. He was a proud Army veteran. He was smart. He was kind. He was the funniest person I have ever met. He always had the answer to any question I had. He is so missed. Love yourself and others. Prioritize your mental health. Surround yourself with people who help you in your healing journey. I so wish my dad had done this.”
Lastly, Alaina asked that if anyone seeing the post knew of any veterans organization that could benefit from her dad’s belongings to share them in the comment section.
“I know that would make him proud,” she added.
Just as she was the day she announced his death, Lauren Alaina was surrounded by loving and supporting messages from members of the country music community who attempted to lift her up on this heartbreaking day.
Jake Owen wrote, “Amen. There’s plenty of love out here to comfort those that are lost . Proud of you Lauren. ♥️”
Kylie Morgan promised that she would take some time out of her day to “[Say] a prayer for you baby doll ❤️ love you”
“I admire your strength, love you Lauren ❤️,” duet partner Chase Matthew added while Carly Pearce said, “Love you, Lauren ❤️” and Tigirlily Gold sent, “Big hugs 💛💛💛💛💛.”
Lauren Alaina announced the news of her father’s passing on the morning of Wednesday, July 24. At the time, she noted she would be stepping away from a few shows to spend time with family at home.
“We lost my daddy last night, and I really have no words yet,” Alaina began in her statement shared via Instagram. “I am going home to be with my family. Thank you for your prayers and understanding,” her message concluded.
Throughout her life, Alaina and her dad had a few ups and downs in their relationship, however they became especially close in the recent years before his death. He inspired several of her songs, including “Doin’ Fine,” “My Old Man,” and most recently, “Little Things.” With each tune, she taps into the power of a father-daughter relationship and notes how his presence left a lasting impact on her life.
Lauren Alaina was able to share her wedding day with her father before tragedy struck, but he sadly didn’t get to meet her baby girl. She’s since found meaningful ways to honor his memory and keep his spirit alive in her family and her music.
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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