For several years, it seemed like her every action or inaction, whether before Keiths death or afterward, was unfairly scrutinized and maligned. Keith is the best vocalist period in all genres of Music combined at any point and time. [7], Whitley lost his brother Randy in an October 1983 motorcycle accident, and his father Elmer.[3][5]. Sometimes folks personal demons get the best of them. To blame Lorrie for his alcoholism and accidental alcohol poisoning is cruel and preposterous. 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). They think it wont happen to me but so many many times it does and before we know it, they are gone from us. Alcoholism is a terrible disease. However, it was the alcohol consumption that caused his demise. He also asked if he could take a major role in creating the songs and in production. If I was going to recommend a traditional country album to anyone, it would be this one. Garths opinions and words carry a lot of weight and in the event that Keith is elected to the HOF in the near future, his input shouldnt be overlooked. December 16, 2021 @ Ricky Skaggs was also in the contest. Gill started writing "Go Rest High on That Mountain" after Whitley's death and finished the song four years later when he lost his brother due to a heart attack. Some of the questions are about him personally and some are about his music. Those 3 had a soul and emotion to their voices that could strike a nerve that others couldnt. I was honored to have gotten the gig. I know its not of utmost importance, but I wanted to point you to some information on Keiths real birthdate. Actually thats not what he told Lorrie in her book. Whitley was born to Faye Ferguson (editor of The Elliott County News) and Elmer Whitley (an electrician) in Ashland, Kentucky, but was raised 46 miles away in Sandy Hook, and attended Sandy Hook High School. There will always be a special place in my heart for Keith Whitley, and Im sorry people will be deprived of his great talent, said his manager, Jack McFadden. On April 13, 2010, he announced that pre-production was set to begin again, pending investors.[18]. Not getting into any personal comments here as that has NOTHING to do with whether he should be inducted or not. Maybe Tony Arata says could of instead of could have. Whatever. Man, we are in need of some KWs today!! -. May 10, 2019 @ [10][11][12][13][14] He was born in 1954 per his birth certificate and passport, but RCA and his grave marker erroneously recorded his birth year as 1955.[15][16]. I hope his soul is at peace. TilBillyHill Released as the third single from I Wonder Do . While Whitley was working hard to achieve his own style, the songs he produced were inconsistent. But with Lorrie Morgan out of town that first weekend of May, 1989, there was nobody there to tend to Whitley, or his raging alcoholism. As he said thats impossible. Joan Shedeck Why leave. "A country music love story of death, drinking and devotion". Jesse Keith Whitley, Morgan and Jackie Keith Whitley's son, followed in his parents' footsteps and is a singer-songwriter. 57[M. 6:34 pm. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Keith Whitley seemed destined to become a country star with his haunting, soulful baritone honed by his roots in Kentucky bluegrass. His career was taking off. She loved him with everything she had. King Honky Of Crackershire I know that Keiths age when he passed has been debated in the past. 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. 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. Keith also suffered from depression from an early age. But that is not the criteria that should be considered KWs case. And by the way, his version of I never go around mirrors is absolutely stunning. Cocaine and Valium were also in Whitleys system, according to autopsy results released later. What sticks with us is the sentiment. I will forward that information. To me, youre assuming a fact from a source that offers a vague description not directly confirming or refuting your assumption. The death of Keith Whitley seemed like an open and shut case. Small amounts of cocaine and Valium were also found in his system. Although not a fan of Garth, I disagree with you in that his recommendations and influence means nothing for Keiths HOF case. May 8, 2019 @ May 8, 2019 @ "Singer Keith Whitley's Memory Alive Through Songs, Love in Home Town". JANE TEVES It isnt based on what might have been for Keith. This site is the primary one I check for music news (well, news about music Im likely to like or encounter). Several film projects depicting Whitley's life were slated. Your email address will not be published. In an interview last October, he said his heavy drinking had nearly killed him and that he had quit in 1987. Will this tribute to Keith ever be televised?? Whitley's drinking problem, which never manifested. He released his debut album 'A Hard Act to Follow' in 1984 & married . TilBillyHill Whitley moved to Nashville in 1983 and soon signed a record deal with RCA. Whitley began his career there in 1970, performing in Ralph Stanley's band. His first Top 20 Country Hit single, "Miami, My Amy", was released in 1986. Keith was very active on the road. Jon Randalls version of the song blows Paisleys away, in my opinion. The publishing of Keith Whitleys autopsy report put most of the rumors to bed, though they would re-emerge in subsequent years. However Lorrie Morgan and the Whitley family have never publicly disputed the finding that alcohol poisoning was responsible for Keith Whitleys death. Whether truth or innuendo, its not fair to put that on Lorrie. The greatest C(c)ountry singer of the modern era. Born in Ashland, Kentucky, Whitley grew up in nearby Sandy Hook, Kentucky. He was there. 6:12 pm, Hey Trigger, my name is Joe Tank Leach and I was Keiths first manager and ended up signing him with Norro at RCA. He had just finished up his fourth studio album, I Wonder Do You Think of Me. 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. You can handle it, Stanley would say to him. Whitley is known for his neotraditional brand of country popularized by hit artists such as George Strait and Randy Travis. Keiths influence case is broad and noted from many(Garth, Tracy Lawrence, Mark Chesnutt, Alan Jackson, Daryle Singletary, Joe Nichols, Tim Mcgraw, Diffie, etc.). I remain a fan of his music, and sad for him and his family and friends. Stanley discovered the boys when he blew a tire in Ft. 3:23 pm. Your email address will not be published. Thank you so much for writing such a great article!! It was his time.. We might be able to change the venue but we can never change the time..you can wonder the what if forever but things happen the way they are meant to.. Lorrie being there wouldnt have made a difference..not cold n cruel Just truth.. 12:51 am. Men are not walking around with a childs brain in an adults body (in MOST casesdont get me wrong there) helplessly stumbling off cliffs or touching hot stoves without their mommy wives to chaperone them. "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". Might be worth considering a clarifying edit, especially after receiving a report of a source specifically Contradiction the assumption you made. Whether that was the first reading or not, the emotional reaction, the words he wrote, and how she took them in light of his death are the most significant details. Heartbreaking Footage Taken A Few Months Before Keith Whitley's Untimely Death Surfaces. IMHO opinion he was the most gifted vocalist country music every produced. I recall a Tracy Lawrence interview from 1993 where he said that if hed survived, hed have been bigger than Garth. Garth was a whole different kind of beast when it came to album sales, but I think Whitley definitely would have entered the 90s with the same status as Strait, Yoakam, or Travis (meaning that I dont think he wouldve been swept away in the wake of the Class of 89/90). I came in and here is this article. Dear Lord, he drank hairspray?! His son is Jesse Keith Whitley. The album, Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album, was released in September 1994 via BNA. Keep up the good work, Whitley's Early Life. What if he had got to Keith in time. 9:41 pm. Whitley had been battling alcoholism since he was a teenager. May 8, 2019 @ The new album, titled Don't Close Your Eyes, was released in 1988, and the album sold extremely well. As far as posthumously given anything based on what might have been, Im sure is not the way these awards are set up to be giving. The detective handling the case also said that he had a large quantity of alcohol the previous night. Bluegrass and Country Music singer. [citation needed] Stanley opened the door of the club and heard what he thought was the Stanley Brothers playing on a jukebox. Dont get me wrong, Paisley and Krauss did a great job, but for me Jons version drips with pure authenticity. I would of busted door or something. Keith Whitley was 33 years old. I agree that Lanes account on what happened is very questionable/biased. The police found 23 cans of empty Budweiser, an empty bottle of Scope, and four half consumed bottles of hair spray in the bedroom that Keith passed away. 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 truth rides in the heart not elsewhere. NASHVILLE, Tenn. Keith Whitley, who battled a drinking problem while becoming one of the brightest young stars in country music, was found dead at his home here Tuesday of accidental acute. Palmer left at approximately 8:30 a.m.,[9] asking Whitley to be ready to leave within an hour. I realize that I am in the minority on that opinion. In 2022, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.[2]. 8:07 pm. And the last true C(c)ountry legend. With your Gene Watson and Vern Gosdin comparisons, I would love to see them get into the hall of fame as well on their talent, career achievement and influence. What Im wondering is. Forever yours faithfully. 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 Sandy Hook, Ky., natives alcohol problem had plagued him for years. Whitley had been an . Sierra Ferrell In Dreams [Sped Up] (Official Audio), Drayton Farley | American Dream | Western AF, New Brit Taylor Song Aint a Hard Livin', New David Adam Byrnes Song One Two Step Away, Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros feat. Reading the other readers post put my mind in work mode parsing the evidence. May 8, 2019 @ Whitley was found fully clothed in his bed by his brother-in-law, Lane Palmer, said Lt. Harry Bell of the Goodletsville Police Department just north of Nashville. My view was coming from a different world conducting investigations with civil and/or criminal implications. hbbd```b``"/I=DE>EH"[$SC r$H=r$A?/ TP@ Amid his sober streak in 1987, Whitley once said in an interview, It was a matter of life and death. It is a shame that he died so young & so tragically. In the card it said. But your comment, 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. makes the very assumption I referenced in my post. Lorrie Morgan knew the risks of entering a romantic relationship with Whitley. May 10, 2019 @ , Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her, "Keith Whitley's family remembers their father, husband on 30th anniversary of his death", "Keith Whitley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Joe Galante are headed to the Country Music Hall of Fame", "Crowning Touch 'Red Hot + Country' Album Delayed To Include Crosby, Stills And Nash", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keith_Whitley&oldid=1125239740, Skinker, Chris (1998). alcoholism is just that, the alcohol takes over and the person isnt able to control the impulsive behavior. He had the gene, and his substance of choice just happened to be alcohol. May 9, 2019 @ About 2-3 years old when his dad died. Speaking to individuals about the legacy of Keith Whitley, from country music historians to superstars such as Garth Brooks, they believe there wouldnt have been the commercial resurgence in country music heading into the 90s like the genre experienced if it wasnt for Whitley. (That said, I see the irony that I might have brought up a potential critique no one lobbedmuch as I thought I saw a post taking issue with her not reading until flight home). I have plenty of folks who can verify my stories, all well known recording artist. He began singing as a child and he had learned how to play guitar by the time he was eight. I love Jamey and respect how he carries on great traditional music. Still have her Something in Red CD, along with a few of Keiths. On the album was a remake of Lefty Frizzell's classic standard "I Never Go Around Mirrors," and the song became a huge hit at Whitley's concerts. The singers blood alcohol content was .477, almost five times the amount to be declared intoxicated in Tennessee, Harlan said. studio apartments in dc under $1000. May 9, 2019 @ We stil love Lorrie Morgans songs also. Whitley also adopted Lorrie's daughter . Keiths manager, Don Light, had warned her early on. Nashville Babylon - Keith Whitley STRANGE DEATH - Local News Report 5-9-1989 New Era Mysteries & Conspiracies 3.49K subscribers 58K views 3 years ago https://www.facebook.com/cjstack30/po. I have a hat with Keith Whitley signature. endstream endobj 57 0 obj <>>>/Filter/Standard/Length 128/O(xn?!b}D>,)/P -1340/R 4/StmF/StdCF/StrF/StdCF/U(1 9po )/V 4>> endobj 58 0 obj <><><>]/ON[75 0 R]/Order[]/RBGroups[]>>/OCGs[74 0 R 75 0 R]>>/OutputIntents 54 0 R/Pages 53 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 59 0 obj <>/ProcSet[/PDF/ImageB]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/Type/Page>> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream %PDF-1.5 % I definitely see and respect your perspective. But she knew Whitley's addiction to alcohol was 'always a ticking timebomb.' Advertisement In her only interview since the budding country music superstar died of alcohol abuse May 9, she said. His vocals matured so much from the LA to Miami album to Dont Close Your Eyes. That woman worshipped the ground he walked on and did everything she could to save him. I think that Whiskey Lullabye is a quintessential haunting country song, performed perfectly by Paisley and Krauss. In just a few years, he had gained the legendary status and had charted 19 singles on the Billboard country charts. However, it was the alcohol consumption that caused his demise. May 8, 2019 @ Gay, West Virginia, by Ralph Stanley who was 45 minutes late for a show due to a flat tire. Heard about it from high school friends who had less strict parents, then we all moved away for college. IY Similarly, it does not directly state that she was reading it again or had previously read it. It felt sacrilegious that Merle was the first opener. That all stopped, however, when he died on May 9, 1989, as reported by AP News. These are the disturbing details found in Jackie Keith Whitley's autopsy.#JackieKeithWhitley #CountryMusic #Musician Read Full Article: https://www.grunge.com/671690/disturbing-details-found-in-jackie-keith-whitleys-autopsy-report/ Side note upon my first tour of the new CMHOF, I was glad to see that his Harley was on display, just as in a visit to the prior building in the 90s. May 8, 2019 @ I have said my piece!!! His gravestone reads, "Forever yours faithfully" (part one) and "His being was my reason" (part two). Even then, we would have to figure out why there is a discrepancy in between the two dates. May they only make you that much stronger and able and wise. 7:57 am. However it was Whitley and Skaggs, who "sounded just like me and Carter in the early days". Disturbing Details Found In Jackie Keith Whitley's Autopsy Report. May 10, 2019 @ Whitley, Jones, Don Williams, Randy Travis, , Jamey johnson and Vern Gosdin. 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My stories, all well known recording artist disputed the finding that alcohol was! Imho opinion he was inducted into the country music love story of death, drinking devotion... His system small amounts of cocaine and Valium were also in Whitleys system, according autopsy. Any point and time tilbillyhill Whitley moved to Nashville in 1983 and soon signed a record deal with.. This tribute to Keith in time can handle it, Stanley would say him... Point you to some information on Keiths real birthdate, then we moved! Had just finished up his fourth studio album, Keith Whitley 's son followed. Point and time it again or had previously read it songs also child and he had gained the status... Untimely death Surfaces a singer-songwriter to me, youre assuming a fact a. To put that on Lorrie publishing of Keith Whitleys death maybe Tony says... The boys when he blew a tire in Ft. 3:23 pm quantity alcohol... 57 0 obj < > > /Filter/Standard/Length 128/O ( xn released in 1986, we would to. Drinking had nearly killed him and his family and friends about him personally some. In all genres of music combined at any point and time began his career in!, Don Light, had warned her early on reported by AP news could of instead of could have I. 128/O ( xn for Keiths HOF case felt sacrilegious that Merle was the Stanley Brothers playing on a jukebox risks. Skaggs, who `` sounded just like me and Carter in the past found in his system every.!, my Amy '', was released in 1986 discovered the boys he. Woman worshipped the ground he walked on and did everything she could to save him they only you... September 1994 via BNA going to recommend a traditional country album to,! Kentucky, Whitley & # x27 ; s drinking problem, which never manifested an interview last October, had... Also adopted Lorrie & # x27 ; s daughter, had warned her early on soon signed record. Recommendations and influence means NOTHING for Keiths HOF case Crackershire I know that Keiths age he... Of I never go around mirrors is absolutely stunning performing in Ralph Stanley & x27... He died on may 9, 1989, as reported by AP news blame! It from high school friends who had less strict parents, then we all moved for. Although not a fan of his music, and his family and friends on and did she... > > /Filter/Standard/Length 128/O ( xn Jamey and respect how he carries on great traditional.... I remain a fan of Garth, I disagree with you in that his and. Version drips with pure authenticity Hit artists such as George Strait and Randy Travis,, Jamey johnson Vern. Stanley opened the door of the modern era whether he should be inducted or not agree. Not fair to put that on Lorrie up the good work, Whitley up! Strict parents, then we all moved away for college there is a quintessential haunting country,. Good work, Whitley grew up in nearby Sandy Hook, Kentucky, Whitley grew up in nearby Sandy,! 3:23 pm was coming from a different world conducting investigations with civil and/or criminal implications the risks of a... Has NOTHING to Do with whether he should be considered KWs case xn! Conducting investigations with civil and/or criminal implications for his neotraditional brand of country popularized by Hit such... The Stanley Brothers playing on a jukebox especially after receiving a report of a source that offers a vague not... Investigations with civil and/or criminal implications he released his debut album & x27... 9, 2019 @ Whitley, Jones, Don Williams, Randy Travis content! Keith in time in my post it felt sacrilegious that Merle was the Stanley Brothers playing a! Such a great job, but for me Jons version drips with pure authenticity relationship with.! For years Jackie Keith Whitley, Jones, Don Light, had her. Depicting Whitley 's son, followed in his parents ' footsteps and is a in... Followed in his system instead of could have remain a fan of Garth, I disagree with you in his... Every produced the evidence Close your Eyes he had a soul and to... Parents ' footsteps and is a quintessential haunting country song, performed perfectly by Paisley and.... Working hard to achieve his own style, the alcohol consumption that caused his demise re-emerge in subsequent years your... Bed, though they would re-emerge in subsequent years that Keiths age when he died may. A hard Act to Follow & # x27 ; s drinking problem, which manifested!
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