The new album, titled Don't Close Your Eyes, was released in 1988, and the album sold extremely well. We really dont know, and the mind plays tricks on people. It would be one of many close calls for Whitley, including driving his own car off a 120-foot cliff and into a frozen river, walking away that time with a broken collar bone. Will be passing through Tri-Cities later today. As evidenced by my posts, I check SCM periodically, sometimes just to see whats up, and sometimes when theres something I imagine youll cover. EXCEPT I would put Waylon Jennings instead of Jamey Johnson. May 10, 2021 @ Rest in peace and thank you for sharing your gift with us all , Keith During his tour to promote L.A. to Miami, he met and began a romantic relationship with country singer Lorrie Morgan. I cant imagine any more disrespectful or shameful a response to Keith Whitleys death these many years later than to be bringing up what Lorrie Morgan did or didnt do. His official cause of death was listed as acute ethanolism, according to Autopsy Files. 4:54 pm. In the late 1960s, Whitley joined a bluegrass group, the Clinch Mountain Boys, and recorded seven studio albums with them, per All Music. When Palmer returned, he found Whitley fully clothed on his bed, unconscious. If I hadnt stopped drinking, I dont think Id be alive today. That woman worshipped the ground he walked on and did everything she could to save him. I spent a few minutes with him and he was drinking a lot that night and I was so certain that he was going to screw up and ruin his own show but to my surprise he was a hit and put everything he had into the show and left the crowd screaming for more. His neotraditional music was described by 'Chicago Tribune' as "the most soulful of all country music." Whitley's music was distinct from the pretentious urban country music that was apparently gaining popularity at the time. Every time the phone would ring it was in the back of my mind that there was somebody calling to tell me hes been in a wreck or died of alcohol. In another incident, he drove his car off a 120-foot (37m) cliff into a frozen river, escaping with only a broken collar bone. The entire country music community mourned the loss, including his friend Vince Gill. In 2022, Whitley was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (CMHOF). NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ Country music singer Keith Whitley, known for wrenching, honky-tonk-style ballads that embraced pain and joy, was found dead at his home Tuesday after overdosing on alcohol, officials said. After seeing Lorrie Morgan off, Keith Whitley began a weekend of heavy drinking. Despite his genre of choice being Southern rock, he feels that his father would approve of his music. In an interview last October, he said his heavy drinking had nearly killed him and that he had quit in 1987. With Keith that wasnt the case. Was he married before he married Lorrie Morgan? When You Say Nothing at All, Im No Stranger to the Rain & Dont Close Your Eyes were also amazing vocals from that album. Similarly, it does not directly state that she was reading it again or had previously read it. Good thoughts Wayne and I dont completely disagree with your stance. I am heading down tomorrow( 5/9) to Nashville for the two tribute shows and to visit the HOF exhibit. You cant live every part of your life for someone else. 2:47 pm. Lorrie Morgan jumped right out! Another song on that album, Its All Coming Back to Me Now was in the same class as far stunning vocals. But his life was cut tragically short when he died of alcohol poisoning in 1989 at the age of 33 when his addiction finally overcame him. You are sooooo right. Reading the other readers post put my mind in work mode parsing the evidence. People spotted in this. 1:59 pm. There was also an exhibit that displayed instruments, clothes, and other memorabilia that Whitley owned. if that is the criteria, then they better go back and assimilate a list of artists that would be candidates based on what they could have accomplished. ), Diana Clark JANE TEVES She really caught hell for a while no matter what she dideven recording the song Autumns Not That Cold drew ire as if she was making a statement about losing Keith. I hope his soul is at peace. As the Chicago Tribune reported at the time, When his death was first discovered, there was a widespread rumor that it was a suicide. A .47 alcohol level seemed exceptionally high, even for Keith Whitley. To someone with a high tolerance, this is especially dangerous, unfortunately we lost a great man and musician that day~, I first heard Keith singing in JD Crowes band and i still think those are some of his best songs, but loved his later music too and he was one of my favs, Boston Rob No doubt Keiths vocals put him in rareified air. May 16, 2019 @ NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Keith Whitley seemed destined to become a country star with his haunting, soulful baritone honed by his roots in Kentucky bluegrass. I was on pins and needles when he was on the road.. Ive gotten lucky to hang with him a few times and very cool guy who is a good musician in his own right, Jane Reynolds 1 in 1988 with "Don't Close Your Eyes." He continued his streak with his well-known song "I'm No Stranger to the Rain," but just as he had begun to have some success, he died. And by the way, his version of I never go around mirrors is absolutely stunning. , This page was last edited on 2 December 2022, at 23:17. I had never seen the entire note that Keith gave to Lorrie that Sunday afternoon he drove her to the airport. While I havent read all of Forever Yours Faithfully, the fact that Keith couldnt be resuscitated because he had passed out on a waterbed that I presume was in Lorrie and his master bedroom doesnt surprise me. It is a tragedy that still troubles Nashville's music community. He was there. May 10, 2019 @ The album also included four previously unreleased tracks recorded by Whitley in 1987, one of which had Morgan dubbed in as a duet partner. Thats a fair response. It was so emotional. The first three singles from the album"When You Say Nothing at All," "I'm No Stranger to the Rain," and the title cutall reached No. If the powers think his accomplishments are justified, no argument from me on that. Incredible in the year 2021 were still finding ways to blame the women in the lives of afflicted men for their tragic deaths. The official cause of death for Keith Whitley was ruled alcohol poisoning by local medical examiner Charles Harlan on May 10tha day after Whitleys death. It should impact Keiths either. I like to think Keith would have been the leading force for traditional country music into the mid to late 90s with Strait, Jackson, and Travis. Trigger, At the time of his death, Whitley had just finished work on his third and final studio album, I Wonder Do You Think of Me. I was 15 when he died and I still listen to him and love his music. I put everything on the back burner, including my career, to help Keith. The album was released three months after his death, on August 1, 1989. Would you like to know what I wish for you? For example, although I believe Gene Watson and Vern Gosdin had a similar effect and they had better careers since they lived longer. In 2022, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.[2]. 3:18 pm. Lockwood, Frank E. "Bikers, Sandy Hook Pay Tribute to Favorite Son". Ricky Skaggs was also in the contest. "On the Other Hand" was pitched to Whitley before Randy Travis released the song as a single and when Whitley's version wasn't released as a single, Travis released his in 1986, as did George Strait with "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her". What Im wondering is. Were seeing that today where theres actually two different stories behind George Joness lawnmower story. May 10, 2019 @ If I have gone to someone s house and knowing that this person already has had drinking prob. Barry was on his way to his own house in Franklin, Tennessee, when he decided to stop by Waylon's to check on him, knowing how much he loved Keith. Man, we are in need of some KWs today!! I will never forget him and he will always have a place in country music and in my heart. He had the gene, and his substance of choice just happened to be alcohol. 8:14 am. Actually thats not what he told Lorrie in her book. Also, to potentially sacrifice yet ANOTHER lifelorries, to fight a fight that, lets face it, youre doomed to lose, is pretty stupid. We stil love Lorrie Morgans songs also. worked keeping his memory, music and legacy alive and burning bright~his music will continue to influence future artists and upcoming country music fans for years to come. Tyler Childers Greatest Story Ever Told (Live in New York), New Erin Enderlin Song White Wine Fever, Molly Tuttle Crooked Tree Jimmy Kimmel Live, New Channing Wilson Song Sunday Morning Blues, New Turnpike Troubadours Tour Date BOK Center, Tulsa, OK, April 1st, New Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley Song Moonshine Run, New Iris Dement Song Workin on a World, The Death of Keith Whitley, 30 Years Later, https://www.reverbnation.com/mattengelsmusic/song/16287569-mr-whitley. , "Country Music Star Keith Whitley Dead at 33". Keiths manager Jack also stopped by keiths house sometime that morning and said keiths Bedroom door was locked and he could hear rustling sounds from inside but couldnt him to respond so he left. I still am on tour these days. 3. We still listen to his records/Cds. Blessed be, Convict charlie None of us are immune. Dont get me wrong, Paisley and Krauss did a great job, but for me Jons version drips with pure authenticity. Joan Shedeck Where I got the note to Lorrie was an article posted by UPI on May 26th, 1989 where Lorrie was interviewed. December 16, 2021 @ Jackie Keith Whitley was a country musician who rose to fame in the '80s. They would have to be deaf and blind not to see his contribution to both these genres of music and his influence on so many Country singers, musicians and songwriters. Rowe, Norman. Keith Whitley was 33 years old. You can handle it, Stanley would say to him. IY I was 9 when KW passed away, but what really stands out to me was about 15 years ago I was sitting in my truck playing KWs When You Say Nothing At All, as the song was playing a young lady walks by my truck stops and looks at me and says Who is that trying to sing Allison Krausss song? She had no idea who Keith Whitley was and it doesnt help when radio stations these days will play the Allison Krauss version and never the original. His talent and voice still reign over dying at an early age. I think of Randall in context of Tin Man. Not sure if it is because of the years since Mud in the Tires or because Whisperin Bill overshadowed Randall in my memory when I first bought the CD. When it comes to when Lorrie opened the card, the recollection she gave in the interview I cited was weeks removed from when it happened, while her biography was many years after. But, it was a great show even from the nosebleeds of Thompson-Boling arena in Knoxville. King Honky Of Crackershire No argument there. If I could have any wish I wanted, this is my wish: That in your life which is so precious to me, may worries, troubles and problems never linger. I love your list of best vocalists. [17] Alison Krauss's rendition of "When You Say Nothing at All" was released as a single from the album, reaching number 3 on the country charts in 1995. Those 3 had a soul and emotion to their voices that could strike a nerve that others couldnt. Keith finally reached No. Keith Whitley Funeral Footage Deep Track Reacts 616 subscribers Subscribe 947 299K views 6 years ago Just a short clip of Keith Whitley's funeral on May 12th, 1989. This, of course, is pure speculation from a person who knew/knows neither of them. Three of those tracks lead 16 Biggest Hits, and "Don't Close Your Eyes," "When You Say Nothing at All," and "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" remain some of the finest songs of '80s country music. 6:05 pm, IMO, Whitleys greatness was really seen in all the songs that didnt get played on the radio. It wasnt just what Whitley accomplished before he passed away that left such a gaping hole in the heart of country music, its what many expected him to accomplish in the coming years. It hurts to think about what might have been. Lane was not there in the AM. Anyway, we know from two reports that she read and reflected on the card on the flight home. It felt like a piece of that era was missing with Whitley not being a part of it. 938 55K views 1 year ago In this video we turn our spotlight onto The Tragic Life and Death Of Keith Whitley. Sir Swamp He left the medical examiners post in 1994 after three separate women accused him of sexual harassment. Posthumously, Whitley would score two more #1 songs and four Top 15 singles, and theres no reason to believe his output wouldnt have continued to reign on the country charts had he lived. Also Lorrie Morgans other husband Jon Randall wrote the song Whiskey Lullaby while going through a divorce with her. Harmony' Young to sing at Whitley's wedding. Whitley, Jones, Don Williams, Randy Travis, , Jamey johnson and Vern Gosdin. He was an amazing singer who could touch your soul with his lyrics, I wish it had been a different outcome because he was on his way to becoming a country ledgend and in some aspects in my mind he is. 1 hits in a row. In 1994, Whitley's widow, Lorrie Morgan, organized several of Whitley's friends in bluegrass and some of the big names in country at the time to record a tribute album to Whitley. According to the autopsy performed on Whitley, he had an alcohol level of 0.47 in his bloodstream. Then in 2010, the accusations against Charles Harlan became even more severe, with the doctor being blamed for numerous botched autopsies resulting in false murder convictions, including a man convicted for stabbing and murdering his cousin, when the deceased died after having a seizure and falling on a glass table. Not at all. "L.A. to Miami" did much better on the music charts, and Whitley had three top 10 hit songs. He was singing on a Charleston, West Virginia radio station within a year. Whitley had been battling alcoholism since he was a teenager. For this and for the considerable influence he had over his era and the one that followed, he should be in the hall of fame without delay. 7:45 pm. Keith also suffered from severe alcohol addiction. My gut says it was cocaine that killed him, but to just blame alcohol as to aviod the embarrassment. The truth rides in the heart not elsewhere. Made me tear up, particularly that letter to Lorrie. He was 33. In 2004, songwriter Jeff Swope began writing a film treatment for a biographical film concerning Whitley's life and death that was shelved in 2006. I do think Waylon is at the same level. (As I wrote this, The Dance player in my mind, along with Im No Stranger to the Rain, Brotherly Love, I Wonder, Do You Think of Me, and some of Lorries songs. George Jones and Keith Whitley have to be the 2 greatest. It included covers of Whitley's songs from artists such as Alan Jackson, Diamond Rio, and Ricky Skaggs. He honed his craft, learned to play the guitar, and already had a band at 13 years old. He also asked if he could take a major role in creating the songs and in production. She would save it for the trip home. His career was taking off. Do you have a direct link? In the card it said.
There isnt always a number, stat, or data point to reference ones accomplishments or contribution to the music. [4] Davidson County Medical Examiner Charles Harlan stated that Whitley's blood alcohol level was 0.47 (the equivalent of 20 one-ounce shots of 100-proof whiskey). The Sandy Hook, Ky., natives alcohol problem had plagued him for years. To me, the vocals on each song of that album were stunning & many were haunting (like Tennesee Courage, which spoke about relying on Jack Daniels for courage & strength). As they say the rest is history. 1 spot on record charts. I would of busted door or something. While Whitley was working hard to achieve his own style, the songs he produced were inconsistent. In 1969 he performed in a musical contest in Ezel, Kentucky, with brother Dwight on five-string banjo. October 23, 2020 @ [5][6] The Whitley family is of English and Scots-Irish descent and has lived in the Elliott County area since the 1840s. Though Whitley had cleaned up in 1987 after numerous close calls from drinking to excess, the sobriety lasted about six months before he fell back off the wagon once again, which could not have been a surprise to anyone. The singer and songwriter had released. IMHO opinion he was the most gifted vocalist country music every produced. It was a tragedy what a voice! These events have allowed the timeline of country music to unfold like a tragedy, and have made folk heroes of some of its greatest stars, including Keith Whitley. 11:27 am. First of all, I am a big KW fan and liked him when he made his mark. Sometimes dying young inflates a persons legacy more so than the persons talent or contribution. I would just like to set the record straight for now and any future articles concerning how Keith got started in Nashville. Keith was very active on the road. Friends and I saw Lorrie Morgan in concert when she and Merle Haggard opened for Clint Black. %%EOF
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