Jackie Keith Whitley (July 1, 1954 – May 9, 1989) was an 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, ...

singer and songwriter. During his career, Whitley released only two albums but charted 12 singles on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' country charts, and 7 more after his death. Born in

Ashland, Kentucky Ashland is a home rule-class city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States. The largest city in Boyd County, Ashland is located upon a southern bank of the Ohio River at the state border with Ohio and near West Virginia. The population was 21,6 ...

, Whitley grew up in nearby Sandy Hook, Kentucky. Whitley began his career there in 1970, performing in

Ralph Stanley Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of ...

's band. Establishing himself as a lead singer in bluegrass music, Whitley moved to

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

in 1983 and began his recording career there. His first Top 20 Country Hit single, "

Miami, My Amy "Miami, My Amy" is a song written by Dean Dillon, Hank Cochran and Royce Porter, and recorded by American country music artist Keith Whitley. It was released in January 1986 as the second single from the album '' L.A. to Miami''. The song reached ...

", was released in 1986. In 1988, his first three singles from his studio album '' Don't Close Your Eyes'', the

title song A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

, "

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" were number one hits. Years of alcoholism severely compromised his health and he died of alcohol intoxication in 1989 at his Goodlettsville home at the age of 34. His later singles, "

I Wonder Do You Think of Me ''I Wonder Do You Think of Me'' is the third studio album released by country music artist Keith Whitley. It was posthumously released in August 1989 by RCA Records, three months after Whitley's death from alcohol poisoning. It peaked at #2 on the ...

", "

It Ain't Nothin' "It Ain't Nothin'" is a song written by Tony Haselden, and recorded by American country music artist Keith Whitley. It was posthumously released in October 1989 as the second single from the album '' I Wonder Do You Think of Me''. His fifth and l ...

", and " I'm Over You", were released after his death. In 2022, he was inducted into the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

Early life

Whitley was born to Faye Ferguson (editor of ''The Elliott County News'') and Elmer Whitley (an electrician) in

, but was raised 46 miles away in Sandy Hook, and attended Sandy Hook High School.Hicks, Jack. – "Singer Keith Whitley's Memory Alive Through Songs, Love in Home Town". – ''

The Kentucky Post ''The Cincinnati Post'' was an afternoon daily newspaper published in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. In Northern Kentucky, it was bundled inside a local edition called ''The Kentucky Post''. The ''Post'' was a founding publication and onetime f ...

''. – September 25, 1991."Country Music Star Keith Whitley Dead at 33". – ''

Lexington Herald-Leader The ''Lexington Herald-Leader'' is a newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and based in Lexington, Kentucky. According to the ''1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook'', the paid circulation of the ''Herald-Leader'' is the second large ...

''. – May 10, 1989. He had two brothers, Randy and Dwight, and a sister, Mary.Lockwood, Frank E. – "Bikers, Sandy Hook Pay Tribute to Favorite Son". – Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) – Saturday, June 27, 1998.Lockwood, Frank E. – "Singing in Rain". – Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) – Saturday, June 28, 1999. The Whitley family is of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and Scots-Irish descent and has lived in the Elliott County area since the 1840s. While Whitley was a teenager in Sandy Hook, he and his friends would pass the time drinking

bootleg Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...

bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * A beer produced by Bras ...

and racing their cars down mountain roads at dangerous speeds. Whitley was once in a car whose driver attempted to round a curve at . The car wrecked, killing his friend and almost breaking Whitley's neck. In another incident, he drove his car off a cliff into a frozen river, escaping with only a broken

collar bone The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the righ ...

.Associated Press – "Whitley Just Getting Started Despite 18-Year Music Career". – Salina Journal (KS) – Thursday, October 27, 1988. Whitley lost his brother Randy in an October 1983 motorcycle accident, and his father Elmer.

Musical career

Whitley is known for his neotraditional brand of country popularized by hit artists such as

George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. In the 1980s, he was credited for ...

and

Randy Travis Randy Bruce Traywick (born May 4, 1959), known professionally as Randy Travis, is an American country music and gospel music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. Active from 1978 until being incapacitated by a stroke in 2013, he has recor ...

. In 1969 he performed in a musical contest in

Ezel, Kentucky Ezel (also Ecell and Ezell) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Morgan County, Kentucky, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 460, west of the city of West Liberty, the county seat of Morgan County. Its elevation is 945 feet (288 ...

, with brother Dwight on five-string banjo.

Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, ma ...

was also in the contest. Skaggs and Whitley hit it off right away and quickly befriended each other.Rowe, Norman. – Album Echoes Country Classics". – ''

Richmond Times-Dispatch The ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'' (''RTD'' or ''TD'' for short) is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond, Virginia, Richmond, the capital of Virginia, and the primary newspaper of record for the state of Virginia. Circulation The ''Times-Dispatc ...

''. – April 20, 1986 Sixteen-year-old Whitley and 16-year-old Skaggs were discovered in Ft. Gay, West Virginia, by

who was 45 minutes late for a show due to a flat tire. Stanley opened the door of the club and heard what he thought was the

Stanley Brothers The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo of singer-songwriters and musicians, made up of brothers Carter Stanley (August 27, 1925 – December 1, 1966) and Ralph Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016). Ralph and Carter perfo ...

playing on a jukebox. However it was Whitley and Skaggs, who "sounded just like me and Carter in the early days". The two soon joined Ralph's band. Whitley became lead singer for Stanley in 1974. Whitley also played with J.D. Crowe & the New South in the mid-1970s. During this period, he established himself as one of the most versatile and talented lead singers in bluegrass. His singing was heavily influenced by

Carter Stanley Carter Glen Stanley (August 27, 1925 – December 1, 1966) was a bluegrass music lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitar player. He formed The Stanley Brothers and The Clinch Mountain Boys band with his younger brother Ralph Stanley. Biogra ...

and

Lefty Frizzell William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell (March 31, 1928 – July 19, 1975) was an American country music singer-songwriter and honky-tonk singer. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982. Frizzell released many songs that charted ...

. He moved to

in 1983 to pursue a country music career and soon signed a record deal with

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 ...

. Whitley's first solo album, ''A Hard Act to Follow'', was released in 1984, and featured a more mainstream country style. While Whitley was working hard to achieve his own style, the songs he produced were inconsistent. Critics regarded the album as too erratic. Whitley honed his sound within the next few years for his next album, ''L.A. to Miami''. ''L.A. to Miami'', released in 1985, would give him his first Top 20 country hit single, "Miami, My Amy". The song was followed by three more hit songs: "Ten Feet Away", "Homecoming '63", and "Hard Livin'", The album also included "

On the Other Hand "On the Other Hand" is a song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was first released as a single in July 1985, peaking at number 67 in the United States. It was Travis' first ...

" and "

Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her" is a song written by Dean Dillon, and recorded by American country music singer George Strait. It was released in April 1986 as the first single from the album #7. The song was originally recorded by ...

". "On the Other Hand" was pitched to Whitley before

released the song as a single and when Whitley's version wasn't released as a single, Travis released his in 1986, as did

with "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her". During his tour to promote ''L.A. to Miami'', he met and began a romantic relationship with country singer

Lorrie Morgan Loretta Lynn Morgan (born June 27, 1959) is an American country music singer and actress. She is the daughter of George Morgan, widow of Keith Whitley, and ex-wife of Jon Randall and Sammy Kershaw, all of whom are also country music singers. Mo ...

. They were married in November 1986 and had their only child, a son, Jesse Keith Whitley in June 1987. Whitley also adopted Lorrie's daughter, Morgan, from her first marriage. During the new recording sessions in 1987, Whitley began feeling that the songs he was were not up to his standards, so he approached RCA and asked if the project of 15 songs could be shelved. He also asked if he could take a major role in creating the songs and in production. The new album, titled '' Don't Close Your Eyes'', was released in 1988, and the album sold extremely well. The album contained one of the many songs that Whitley had a hand in writing in his years at Tree Publishing, "It's All Coming Back to Me Now". On the album was a remake of

's classic standard "I Never Go Around Mirrors," and the song became a huge hit at Whitley's concerts. The first three singles from the album—"When You Say Nothing at All," "I'm No Stranger to the Rain," and the title cut—all reached No. 1 on ''

s country charts during the autumn of 1988 and the winter of 1989, with the title track "Don't Close Your Eyes" being ranked as ''Billboard''’s No. 1 Country song of 1988. Shortly thereafter, "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" also earned Whitley his first and only

Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enha ...

award as a solo artist and a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. In early 1989, Whitley approached RCA chairman

Joe Galante Joe Galante (born December 18, 1949, New York City, NY) is an American music industry executive. He is noted for his role in developing the careers of Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Brad Paisley, Martina McBride ...

with the intention of releasing "I Never Go Around Mirrors" as a single. Galante approved of the musical flexibility that Whitley achieved with the song; however, he suggested that Whitley record something new and more upbeat. The result was a song Whitley had optioned for his previous album called ''

'', and was to result in his next album release.

Death

On May 9, 1989, Whitley had a brief phone call with his mother and was later visited by his brother-in-law, Lane Palmer. The two had coffee and were planning a day of golf and lunch, after which Whitley planned to start writing songs for him and Lorrie Morgan to record when she returned from her concert tour. Palmer left at approximately ,Jinkins, Shirley. – "A country music love story of death, drinking and devotion". – ''

Fort Worth Star-Telegram The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company. History In May 1905, Amon G. Carter acc ...

''. – October 14, 1997. asking Whitley to be ready to leave within an hour. Upon returning, Palmer found Whitley unresponsive on his bed and called an ambulance. Whitley was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, at the age of 34. The official cause of death was acute ethanolism (

alcohol poisoning Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ps ...

). 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)."Country Singer Keith Whitley, 33". –

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

. – (c/o ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

''). – May 10, 1989. He was born in 1954 per his birth certificate and passport, but RCA and his

grave marker A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a stele or marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. It is traditional for burials in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions, among others. In most cases, it has the deceased's name, da ...

erroneously recorded his birth year as 1955.Whitburn, Joel (2006). – ''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits''. – Second Edition. – New York: Billboard Books. – p.382. – .Stambler, Irwin, and Grelun Landon (2000). – ''Country Music: The Encyclopedia''. – New York: St. Martin's Press. – p.533. – .
—Carlin, Richard (2003). – ''Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary''. – New York: Routledge – p.427. – .
—Larkin, Colin (1995). – ''The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music''. – New York: Stockton Press – P.4462. – .
—Stanton, Scott (2003). – ''The Tombstone Tourist: Musicians''. – New York: Pocket Books. – p.395. – .
—Hicks, Jack. – "Singer Keith Whitley's Memory Alive Through Songs, Love in Home Town". – ''

''. – September 25, 1991.
—"Country Music Star Keith Whitley Dead at 33". – ''

''. – May 10, 1989.
—Hurst, Jack. – "Whitley's Last Days". – ''

''. – May 14, 1989.
—"Alcohol Kills Country Singer Keith Whitley". –

United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...

. – (c/o ''

The San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...

''). – May 10, 1989. The day after his death,

Music Row Music Row is a historic district located southwest of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Widely considered the heart of Nashville's entertainment industry, Music Row has also become a metonymous nickname for the music industry as a w ...

was lined with black ribbons in memory of Whitley. He is buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery outside

. His gravestone reads, "Forever yours faithfully" (part one) and "His being was my reason" (part two). The "yours" in part one refers to Whitley, and the "my" in part two refers to Morgan, who has a future burial spot next to him.

Posthumous releases

At the time of his death, Whitley had just finished work on his third and final studio album, ''

''. The album was released three months after his death, on August 1, 1989. The album produced two more No. 1 hits, with the title track and "It Ain't Nothin'." "I'm Over You" also was in the Top 5 in early 1990, reaching No. 3. Two new songs were added to "Greatest Hits": The first, "Tell Lorrie I Love Her" was written and recorded at home by Whitley for Morgan, originally intended as a work tape for Whitley's friend Curtis 'Mr. Harmony' Young to sing at Whitley's wedding. The second was "'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose", a 1987 demo taken from Tree that originally featured harmony vocals by childhood friend Ricky Skaggs. Lorrie Morgan, with creative control and license to Whitley's namesake, recorded her voice alongside Whitley's, and released it as a single, which rose to No. 13 and won them 1990's CMA award for Best Vocal Collaboration as well as a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. RCA also released a compilation of performance clips (from his days in the Ralph Stanley-Fronted Clinch Mountain Boys), interviews, and some previously unreleased material under the title "Kentucky Bluebird". The album produced hits for Whitley as well, including a duet with

Earl Thomas Conley Earl Thomas Conley (October 17, 1941 – April 10, 2019)Wood, Gerry. (1998). "Earl Thomas Conley". In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 108. was an American country music singer-songwriter. Between ...

, named "Brotherly Love," which peaked at No. 2 in late 1991 and gave Whitley his second consecutive posthumous Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. 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 A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...

album to Whitley. The album, '' Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album'', was released in September 1994 via BNA. It included covers of Whitley's songs from artists such as

Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country"), as well as penning many o ...

Diamond Rio Diamond Rio is an American country music band. The band was founded in 1982 as an attraction for the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee, and was originally known as the Grizzly River Boys, then the Tennessee River Boys. It was foun ...

, and Ricky Skaggs. The album also included four previously unreleased tracks recorded by Whitley in 1987, one of which had Morgan dubbed in as a duet partner. The album also included two original songs: "Little Boy Lost", co-written and sung by

Daron Norwood Daron Jay Norwood (September 30, 1965 – July 22, 2015) was an American country music singer. He released two albums for Giant Records and charted six times on Hot Country Songs. Musical career Signed to Giant Records in 1993, he released tw ...

, and "A Voice Still Rings True", a multi-artist song.

Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...

'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. In 1995, the album ''Wherever You Are Tonight'' was released, produced by Lorrie Morgan, featuring restored demos of 1986–1988, with crisper 1990s recording techniques and a full orchestra. The album and single of the same name both did very well on the Billboard and R&R charts and "Super Hits" and "The Essential Keith Whitley" followed in 1996. "The Essential" contained the remastered and long since unavailable LP and Whitley's debut, the 6-Track "A Hard Act to Follow", and a scrapped song from 1986's "LA to Miami", "I Wonder Where You Are Tonight". 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. On April 13, 2010, he announced that pre-production was set to begin again, pending investors.Mirrors, The Keith Whitley Story –

WordPress WordPress (WP or WordPress.org) is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) written in hypertext preprocessor language and paired with a MySQL or MariaDB database with supported HTTPS. Features include a plugin architecture ...

, April 13, 2010 Several film projects depicting Whitley's life were slated. One idea was a film version of the George Vescey-Lorrie Morgan-penned "Forever Yours, Faithfully". While Morgan's book was a benchmark in piecing together Whitley's final moments, perhaps the most research went into a project titled "Kentucky Bluebird", which was to star writer/actor/director

David Keith David Keith may refer to: * David Keith (novelist) (1906–1994), pen name of American scholar Francis Steegmuller *David Keith (actor) (born 1954), American film and TV performer and director *David Keith (physicist), Canadian-born Harvard Profess ...

. This project was in

development hell Development hell, development purgatory, and development limbo are media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in development for an especially long time, often moving between different crews, scripts, game engi ...

for several years, and was halted in late 2006 also, after difficulties with casting and funding.

Discography

*1984: '' A Hard Act to Follow'' (EP) *1985: ''

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 ...

'' *1988: '' Don't Close Your Eyes'' *1989: ''

'' *1991: '' Kentucky Bluebird'' *1995: ''

Wherever You Are Tonight ''Wherever You Are Tonight'' is the fourth studio album released by American country music singer Keith Whitley. It was the second posthumous album of his career. The album consists of ten songwriter demos that Whitley had recorded. His vocal was ...

'' *2000: ''Sad Songs & Waltzes''

Awards and nominations

Awards

* 1989 Single of the Year - " I'm No Stranger to the Rain" * 1990 Vocal Event of the Year - with

– "

'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose "Til a Tear Becomes a Rose" is a song originally recorded by American country music artist Leon Everette. It was released in 1985 from his album ''Where's the Fire''. His version of the song peaked at number 44 on Hot Country Songs. The song was ...

Nominations

* 1989 Male Vocalist of the Year * 1989 Horizon Award * 1990 Album of the Year – "

" * 1992 Vocal Event of the Year - with

Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...

* 1985 Top New Male Vocalist * 1988 Single of the Year - " Don't Close Your Eyes" * 1989 Single of the Year - " I'm No Stranger to the Rain" * 1991 Video of the Year - " Brotherly Love" with

References

*Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. – Keith Whitley: Biography –

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

. *Skinker, Chris (1998). – "Keith Whitley". – ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music: The Ultimate Guide to the Music''. – First Edition. – Paul Kingsbury, editor. – New York: Oxford University Press. – pp. 583–584. {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitley, Keith 1954 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American singers Alcohol-related deaths in Tennessee American acoustic guitarists American country guitarists American country singer-songwriters Burials in Tennessee Country musicians from Kentucky Guitarists from Kentucky Musicians from Appalachia Musicians from Ashland, Kentucky New South (band) members People from Elliott County, Kentucky RCA Records Nashville artists Singer-songwriters from Kentucky