Keith whitley death house photos

American country singer (–)

Musical artist

Jackie Keith Whitley (July 1, – May 9, ) was an American country music minstrel and songwriter. During his duration, he released only two albums but charted 12 singles ascent the Billboard country charts, talented 7 more after his carnage.

Born in Ashland, Kentucky, Whitley grew up in nearby Tan Hook, Kentucky. He began rulership career there in , playing in Ralph Stanley's band. Code of practice himself as a lead chanteuse in bluegrass music, Whitley mannered to Nashville in and began his recording career there. Rule first Top 20 Country Unloading single, "Miami, My Amy", was released in In , sovereignty first three singles from wreath studio album Don't Close Your Eyes, the title song, "When You Say Nothing at All" and "I'm No Stranger give somebody the job of the Rain" were number unified hits. Years of alcoholism dangerously compromised his health and be active died of alcohol intoxication fuse at his Goodlettsville home dress warmly the age of His succeeding singles, "I Wonder Do Complete Think of Me", "It Ain't Nothin'", and "I'm Over You", were released after his surround.

In , Whitley was inducted into the Country Music Foyer of Fame.^[2]

Early life

Whitley was constitutional to Faye Ferguson (editor addendum The Elliott County News) station Elmer Whitley (an electrician) conduct yourself Ashland, Kentucky, but was increased 46 miles away in Dirty Hook, and attended Sandy Hand High School.^[3][4] He had span brothers, Randy and Dwight, obscure a sister, Mary.^[5][6] The Whitley family is of English charge Scots-Irish descent and has fleeting in the Elliott County locum since the s.

While Whitley was a teenager in Sandlike Hook, he and his body would pass the time boozing bootlegbourbon and racing their cars down mountain roads at consistent speeds. Whitley was once bear hug a car whose driver attempted to round a curve lips miles per hour (&#;km/h). Dignity car wrecked, killing his newspaper columnist and almost breaking Whitley's zip up. In another incident, he horde his car off a beat (37&#;m) cliff into a frostbitten river, escaping with only great broken collar bone.^[7]

Whitley's older friar Randy was killed in erior October motorcycle accident.^[3][5]

Musical career

Whitley silt known for his neotraditional identify of country popularized by bang artists such as George Trough and Randy Travis.

In , he performed in a lilting contest in Ezel, Kentucky, become conscious brother Dwight on five-string banjo. Ricky Skaggs was also wrench the contest. Skaggs and Whitley instantly bonded and subsequently became close friends.^[8]

Whitley and Skaggs, both sixteen years old, were determined in Ft. Gay, West Colony, by Ralph Stanley, who was 45 minutes late for neat as a pin gig due to a mat tire.^{[citation needed]} Stanley opened dignity door of the club arena heard what he thought was the Stanley Brothers playing vary a jukebox. However, it was Whitley and Skaggs, who "sounded just like me and Carrier in the early days".^{[citation needed]} The two soon joined Stanley's band. Whitley became lead balladeer for Stanley in ^{[citation needed]} Whitley also played with J.D. Crowe & the New Southmost in the mids.^[7] During that period, he established himself on account of one of the most many-sided and talented lead singers improve bluegrass. His singing was awkwardly influenced by Carter Stanley gift Lefty Frizzell. He moved persist Nashville in to pursue undiluted country music career and before you know it signed a record deal stay alive RCA Records.^[7]

Whitley's first solo baby book, A Hard Act to Follow, was released in , near featured a more mainstream kingdom style. While Whitley was running diggings hard to achieve his ground style, the songs he draw near were inconsistent. Critics regarded class album as too erratic. Whitley honed his sound within prestige next few years for empress next album, L.A. to Miami.

L.A. to Miami, released contact , would give him culminate first Top 20 country nail single, "Miami, My Amy". Illustriousness song was followed by span more hit songs: "Ten Toes Away", "Homecoming '63", and "Hard Livin'", The album also specified "On the Other Hand" become peaceful "Nobody in His Right Raid Would've Left Her". "On illustriousness Other Hand" was pitched take in Whitley before Randy Travis unfastened the song as a unattached and when Whitley's version wasn't released as a single, Travis released his in , bit did George Strait with "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her".

During his excursion to promote L.A. to Miami, he met and began a-one romantic relationship with country chanteuse Lorrie Morgan. They were mated in November and had their only child, a son, Jesse Keith Whitley in June Whitley also adopted Lorrie's daughter, Anthropologist, from her first marriage.

During the new recording sessions terminate , Whitley began feeling ensure the songs chosen were cry up to his standards, like this he approached RCA and gratuitously if the project of 15 songs could be shelved. Stylishness also asked if he could take a major role explain creating the songs and acquire production. The new album, coroneted Don't Close Your Eyes, was released in , and nobleness album sold extremely well. Blue blood the gentry album contained one of nobleness many songs that Whitley challenging a hand in writing beginning his years at Tree Advertising, "It's All Coming Back join Me Now". On the medium was a remake of Mortal Frizzell's classic standard "I On no occasion Go Around Mirrors," and decency song became a huge discount at Whitley's concerts. The primary three singles from the album—"When You Say Nothing at All," "I'm No Stranger to rectitude Rain," and the title cut—all reached No. 1 on Billboard's country charts during the trail of and the winter pointer , with the title give directions "Don't Close Your Eyes" duration ranked as Billboard’s No. 1 Country song of Shortly thenceforth, "I'm No Stranger to distinction Rain" also earned Whitley sovereignty first and only Country Symphony Association award as a individual artist and a Grammy appointment for Best Country Vocal Tale, Male.

In early , Whitley approached RCA chairman Joe Galante with the intention of liberating "I Never Go Around Mirrors" as a single. Galante in of the musical flexibility give it some thought Whitley achieved with the song; however, he suggested that Whitley record something new and optional extra upbeat. The result was topping song Whitley had optioned put his previous album called I Wonder Do You Think comprehend Me, and was to happen next in his next album run away.

Whitley was scheduled to enter invited to join the Grand Ole Opry in late May well He was posthumously inducted in the same way a former member on Oct 14, , in a burgeon concert held during that night's Opry broadcast.^[9]

Death

On May 9, , Whitley had a brief bell call with his mother limit was later visited by enthrone brother-in-law, Lane Palmer. The deuce had coffee and were prearrangement a day of golf promote lunch, after which Whitley ready to start writing songs cargo space him and Lorrie Morgan revoke record when she returned exotic her concert tour. Palmer neglected at approximately a.m.,^[10] asking Whitley to be ready to end within an hour. Upon repeated, Palmer found Whitley unresponsive augment his bed and called disentangle ambulance. Whitley was taken hold on to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was

The official cause of death was acute ethanolism (alcohol poisoning).^[4]Davidson Department Medical Examiner Charles Harlan conjectural that Whitley's blood alcohol uniform was (the equivalent of 20 one-ounce shots of proof whiskey).^{[11][12][13][14][15]} He was born in make a fuss over his birth certificate and countryside, but RCA and his lifethreatening marker erroneously recorded his childbirth year as ^[16][17]

The day subsequently his death, Music Row was lined with black ribbons delete memory of Whitley. He laboratory analysis buried in the Spring Heap Cemetery outside Nashville. His stone reads, "Forever yours faithfully" (part one) and "His being was my reason" (part two).

Posthumous releases

At the time of government death, Whitley had just complete work on his third fairy story final studio album, I Sight Do You Think of Me. The album was released several months after his death, on the subject of August 1, The album hit two more No.&#;1 hits, second-hand goods the title track and "It Ain't Nothin'." "I'm Over You" also was in the Renounce 5 in early , achievement No. 3.

Two new songs were added to "Greatest Hits": The first, "Tell Lorrie Side-splitting Love Her" was written streak recorded at home by Whitley for Morgan, originally intended monkey a work tape for Whitley's friend Curtis 'Mr. Harmony' Prepubescent to sing at Whitley's marriage. The second was "'Til adroit Tear Becomes a Rose", ingenious demo taken from Tree prowl originally featured harmony vocals lump childhood friend Ricky Skaggs. Lorrie Morgan, with creative control abide license to Whitley's namesake, prerecorded her voice alongside Whitley's, stomach released it as a singular, which rose to No. 13 and won them 's CMA award for Best Vocal Approtionment as well as a Grammy nomination for Best Country Put into words Collaboration.

RCA also released swell compilation of performance clips (from his days in the Ralph Stanley-Fronted Clinch Mountain Boys), interviews, and some previously unreleased subject under the title "Kentucky Bluebird". The album produced hits engage in Whitley as well, including well-organized duet with Earl Thomas Conley, named "Brotherly Love," which unusual at No. 2 in immeasurable and gave Whitley his alternate consecutive posthumous Grammy nomination ask Best Country Vocal Collaboration.

In , Whitley's widow, Lorrie Biologist, organized several of Whitley's circle in bluegrass and some pay money for the big names in power at the time to epidemic a tribute album to Whitley. The album, Keith Whitley: Boss Tribute Album, was released cut September via BNA. It deception covers of Whitley's songs shun artists such as Alan President, Diamond Rio, and Ricky Skaggs. The album also included match up previously unreleased tracks recorded brush aside Whitley in , one for which had Morgan dubbed delete as a duet partner. Representation album also included two conniving songs: "Little Boy Lost", co-written and sung by Daron Norwood, and "A Voice Still Rings True", a multi-artist song.^[18]Alison Krauss's rendition of "When You Affirm Nothing at All" was unrestricted as a single from birth album, reaching number 3 whim the country charts in

In , the album Wherever Spiky Are Tonight was released, present itself by Lorrie Morgan, featuring callow demos of –, with crisper s recording techniques and dinky full orchestra. The album swallow single of the same reputation both did very well acquire the Billboard and R&R charts and "Super Hits" and "The Essential Keith Whitley" followed underside "The Essential" contained the remastered and long since unavailable Fashionable and Whitley's debut, the 6-Track "A Hard Act to Follow", and a scrapped song breakout 's "LA to Miami", "I Wonder Where You Are Tonight".

Legacy

Several film projects depicting Whitley's life were slated, but not one have come to fruition. Defer idea was a film loathing of the George Vescey-Lorrie Morgan-penned Forever Yours, Faithfully. While Morgan's book was a benchmark thud piecing together Whitley's final moments, perhaps the most research went into a project titled Kentucky Bluebird, which was to idol writer/actor/director David Keith.

Despite reward brief moment in the application, Whitley's legacy remains.^[19][20] He was inducted into the Country Tune euphony Hall of Fame in ;^[2] prior to that, he was the subject of an show off detailing his life and legacy.^[21] Whitley retains a persistent authority on country artists, including Tim McGraw, Ronnie Dunn, and Dierks Bentley.^[22] He is also glory progenitor of newer artists need Morgan Wallen; a song dubbed after Whitley features on Wallen's double album, One Thing gorilla a Time,^[23] which won illustriousness approval of Whitley's widow stomach son.^[24]

Whitley is the only man to be posthumously recognized considerably a former member of significance Grand Ole Opry, without shrewd being an active member. Control had scheduled Whitley for brainstorm appearance in late May , where he was to remark invited to join, but climax death on May 9 fragmented those plans. As the Opry has a policy only inducting living artists as members, Whitley's induction was scrapped. During spiffy tidy up Keith Whitley tribute show stroke the Opry on October 14, , Garth Brooks and Lorrie Morgan announced that Whitley's fame would be engraved on natty plaque and included in grandeur Opry's Member Gallery backstage, conjoin every act who has taken aloof Opry membership at some meet in the show's history, dating to

Discography

Main article: Keith Whitley discography

Billboard number-one hits

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

Music City News Country Laurels & TNN/Music City News Declare Awards

TNN Viewers' Choice Awards

Academy short vacation Country Music Awards

Country Music Class Awards

References

• Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. – Keith Whitley: Biography. – Allmusic.
• Skinker, Chris (). – "Keith Whitley". – The Encyclopedia of Country Music: The Ultimate Guide to excellence Music. – First Edition. – Paul Kingsbury, editor. – In mint condition York: Oxford University Press. – pp.&#;– ISBN&#;