Watch This 6-Year-Old Serenade His New Stepdad With Heartwarming Brad Paisley Cover

Brad Paisley entered the country music scene in 1999 with his platinum-certified debut, Who Needs Pictures. The album spawned his first of 25 chart-topping hits, “He Didn’t Have to Be.” The song’s narrator is the son of a single mother whose new boyfriend immediately steps up to the plate in the parenting department. It’s already impossible to listen to without tearing up. And when this 6-year-old boy performed the song for his new stepfather at his mother’s wedding, there was quite literally not a dry eye in the house.

6-Year-Old Dedicates Brad Paisley Cover to His New Stepfather

Recently, the TikTok user @melissakayy93 posted a throwback video from her wedding seven years ago. Her son Justin, then just 6, stood before a room full of people and sang Brad Paisley’s “He Didn’t Have to Be.”

Justin smiles shyly as he sing the opening verse: When a single mom goes out on a date with somebody new / It always winds up feeling more like a job interview / My momma used to wonder if she’d ever meet someone / Who wouldn’t find out about me and then turn around and run.

@melissakayy93

Wedding day throw back! My son was 5 when my husband came in. Justin asked to surprise him with his at our wedding. #hedidnthavetobe #bradpaisley #fatherson #weddingday #blendedfamily #sevenyears @Dakota Traylor

♬ original sound – Melissakayy

It’s undoubtedly a heart-bursting moment. As Justin sings, the camera pans around, showing various guests dabbing at their eyes with tissues.

In the caption, Justin’s mom explained that he was just 5 years old when her now-husband came into their lives. After he popped the question, the little boy wanted to surprise his new stepfather with the heartwarming Brad Paisley tune.

[RELATED: Brad Paisley Celebrates Wife’s Birthday With “Officially Approved” and Heartfelt Message]

The social media platform’s time constraints wouldn’t allow Justin’s mom to post a video of the full song. So she shared the ending of the performance in a separate video. Although clearly nervous, the young boy finished strong: And looking back, all I can say about all the things he did for me / Is, I hope I’m at least half the dad that he didn’t have to be.

@melissakayy93

Replying to @user526383558111 tiktok will only let me post under 1 min of the song. Heres the ending. ❤️

♬ original sound – Melissakayy

Precious Throwback Has Social Media “Crying Like a Baby”

The video, posted Sept. 17, had garnered more than 28,000 likes by Sunday (Sept. 22.) “Crying like a baby,” one TikTok user commented.

“that was so sweet gave me cold chills,” another wrote.

It’s been seven years since Justin serenaded his bonus dad with that sweet Brad Paisley cover. In a separate post, his mom shared pictures of her husband and now-teenage son attending a University of Michigan football game together.

@melissakayy93

Replying to @Kristina Dawn for those of you asking for an update 7 years later! Heres them a few weeks ago at the BIG HOUS. #michigan #bighouse #Wolverines @Dakota Traylor

♬ Michigan Wolverines – Avery Andon

It seems their special bond has only grown stronger.

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