WOODBRIDGE, Va. – For Jon Freeman, who writes songs under the name Witlove, National Daughters Day carried extra meaning this year.
Freeman, a local country songwriter, released a new track called “45 Minutes” for his 9-year-old daughter, Kennedy. The song tells the story of the first moments he held her after she was born, weaving in memories of singing Randy Travis’ “Forever and Ever, Amen” and Thomas Rhett’s “Star of the Show” in the hospital.
The lyric video, which premiered at midnight on Sept. 25, pairs the song with personal family photos and videos. Ultimately, it features Kennedy’s heartbeat, recorded during a sonogram taken the morning she was born. Freeman said he saved the recording for nearly a decade, knowing it “belonged in a song.”
Freeman isn’t a singer—an AI voice carries the vocals—but he said songwriting is where his passion lies. He surprised Kennedy with the video on the couch at home. Normally talkative during TV shows, she sat in silence, watching the video, and later told him, “This is my favorite song ever.”
Freeman, married since 2012, said he’s focused on getting his music heard and collaborating with other artists. His latest album, On My Mind, was recently released.
