''Don't Close Your Eyes'' is the second studio album by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist

Keith Whitley Jackie Keith Whitley (July 1, 1954 – May 9, 1989) was an American country music singer and songwriter. During his career, Whitley released only two albums but charted 12 singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts, and 7 more after his death. ...

and the last to be released during his lifetime. The album was released on May 31, 1988, by

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

. After the success of his debut album, ''

L.A. to Miami ''L.A. to Miami'' is the debut studio album by American country music singer Keith Whitley. It was released in October 1985 by RCA Records. The album includes the singles "I've Got the Heart for You," "Miami, My Amy," "Ten Feet Away," "Homecoming ...

'' (1985), Whitley re-entered the studio and began recording a second album with producer Blake Mevis. After its completion, Whitley was unhappy with its production, and he convinced his label to shelve the recordings. ''Don't Close Your Eyes'' was subsequently recorded with producer

Garth Fundis Garth Fundis is an American country music record producer. Active since the 1970s, Fundis has produced albums for several country artists, including Alabama, Don Williams, Trisha Yearwood, Sugarland, and Keith Whitley. He has also served as a ju ...

. The album's liner notes credit Fundis and Whitley with production on all tracks except "Some Old Side Road" and "Would These Arms Be in Your Way", which are credited to Mevis. The album became a commercial success, and was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. It contained three consecutive number one hits on the

Hot Country Singles Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

chart: " Don't Close Your Eyes", "

When You Say Nothing at All "When You Say Nothing at All" is a country song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz. It was a hit song for four different performers: Keith Whitley, who took it to the top of the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles chart on December 24, 19 ...

", and " I'm No Stranger to the Rain".

Track listing

*^AOmitted from LP and cassette versions.

Personnel

Compiled from liner notes. ;All tracks except "Some Old Side Road" and "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" Musicians *

Eddie Bayers Eddie Bayers (born January 28, 1949) is an American session drummer who has played on 300 gold and platinum albums. He received the Academy of Country Music 'Drummer of the Year Award' for fourteen years, has three times won the Nashville Music ...

— drums * Paul Franklin — steel guitar, Pedabro * Allen Frizzell — background vocals on "I Never Go Around Mirrors" *

— background vocals * Red Lane — acoustic guitar *

Mac McAnally Lyman Corbitt McAnally Jr. (; born July 15, 1957), known professionally as Mac McAnally, is an American country music singer-songwriter, session musician, and record producer. In his career, he has recorded ten studio albums and eight singles. ...

— acoustic guitar *

Dave Pomeroy Dave Pomeroy (born April 26, 1956) is an American musician, known as a Nashville vocalist, songwriter, and producer (Earwave Productions), but is best known as a bassist. He has played electric and acoustic bass for many world renowned artists ...

— bass guitar *

Matt Rollings Matt Rollings is a Grammy Award-winning American composer, keyboard player and record producer. Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, Rollings has worked with many artists, not all country. Matt won the 'Best Traditional Pop Voca ...

— piano * Billy Sanford — acoustic guitar, electric guitar *

— lead vocals * Dennis Wilson — background vocals
Technical * Garth Fundis — production, mixing * Carlos Grier — mastering assistant * Gary Laney — engineering, mixing * Denny Purcell — mastering * Todd Sholar — assistant engineer * Keith Whitley — production ;"Some Old Side Road" and "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" Musicians * Sonny Garrish — steel guitar *

Vern Gosdin Vernon Gosdin (August 5, 1934 – April 28, 2009) was an American country music singer. He had 19 top-10 solo hits on the country music charts from 1977 through 1990. Three of these hits went to Number One: " I Can Tell By the Way You Dance (You ...

— background vocals on "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" * Rob Hajacos — fiddle on "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" *

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...

— background vocals on "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" * Mitch Humphries — keyboards * Jerry Kroon — drums * Mike Lawler — synthesizer * Larry Paxton — bass guitar *

Brent Rowan Brent Rowan (born May 28, 1956 in Waxahachie, Texas) is an American session musician and record producer who works primarily in country music. Active since the 1970s, Rowan began working with John Conlee through the recommendation of record produce ...

— acoustic guitar, electric guitar * Keith Whitley — lead vocals * Dennis Wilson — background vocals on "Some Old Side Road" * Curtis "Mr. Harmony" Young — background vocals on "Some Old Side Road" Technical * Bill Harris — engineering * Blake Mevis — production

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Singles

Certifications

Production

*Produced by

and Keith Whitley except for tracks 6 and 7, produced by Blake Mevis for Southwind Music, Inc. *Engineered By Bill Harris, Gary Laney & Todd Sholar *Mixed By Garth Fundis & Gary Laney *Digital Editing By Carlos Grier *Mastered By Denny Purcell

References

{{Authority control Keith Whitley albums 1988 albums RCA Records albums Albums produced by Garth Fundis