Regardless of his short life, Whitley is still remembered as a great country singer who became an influence to other country music stars, such as Tim McGraw, Chris Young, and Alan Jackson (via the Tennessean). The article specifically is discussing how she was seeing the card in light of what had transpired since he gave it to her. Trigger, Same with the likes of Steve Earle as well as son Justin Townes Earle who took his own life last year. His body of work and the fact that it caused the resurgence in the popularity of country music 4 the 90s is why hes why hes being inducted to the Hall of Fame, BRYAN DENNIS Arent there other theories that Lori Morgan was responsible in some way ? Lorrie Morgan knew the risks of entering a romantic relationship with Whitley. To me, youre assuming a fact from a source that offers a vague description not directly confirming or refuting your assumption. As many have stated here, his version of I Never Go Around Mirrors is beyond amazing. Lt. Harry Bell in the video Nashville Babylon-Keith Whitley Strange Death comments that Keith had been dead about an hour. But that is not the criteria that should be considered KWs case. with feet the ground and the knees bent. 1 hits, and it seemed like his music career was right on track. The driver died, and Whitley almost broke his neck. I hope he knows 30 years later people still get stirred up and sing along to his amazing sound. Ive learned to respect a lot of what Garth has to say. If I hadnt stopped drinking, I dont think Id be alive today. Have heard Pattys version, too. That is why despite the short length of Keith Whitleys career, he considered a strong contender for induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the coming years. The legacy of Keith Whitley has received a resurgence of interest lately leading up to the 30th anniversary of his untimely passing. Whitley said that he stopped drinking in 1987 after he got married to singer Lorrie Morgan. This is the story of the death of country music star Keith Whitley. But bottom line, he was an addict. Its the equivalent of 20 1-ounce shots of 100-proof whiskey. But just about the time everything would begin to unravel for Keith Whitley due to his drinking, he would hold it together just enough to pull through. Keith Whitley volunteered to take his wife and fellow performer Lorrie Morgan to the Nashville airport to see her off on a promotional trip she was taking to Alaska. 19/02/2023 . Why would Keith Whitley drink himself to death when his career was just hitting its stride, and he had so much to live for? I VOTE to accept him into the CMHF. Do you have a direct link? Also Lorrie Morgans other husband Jon Randall wrote the song Whiskey Lullaby while going through a divorce with her. But, I get that this literally is not something to make into a federal case. Still listen to him now and then. May 8, 2019 @ May 10, 2019 @ My husband and I loved Keiths music and his songs. Great podcast. In a couple of weeks, Keith Whitley was scheduled to be asked to join the Grand Ole Opry himself, and was riding high off of his 3rd consecutive #1 single, Im No Stranger To The Rain, which had topped the Billboard country charts three weeks prior. The only person responsible for an addict is an addict. Now, I do believe he would have a leading force. Carson and Keith had flown home from Texas, while the rest of the band took the bus back. We still listen to his records/Cds. 6:34 pm. When Lorrie Morgan was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1984, she became the institutions youngest-ever invited member.Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan had been married for three years at that point, and they were one of country musics emerging power couples. 7:51 am, It was his time to go.. The singer's blood alcohol level was reported to be .47, or almost five times the amount to be declared intoxicated in Tennessee. Trig Im loving these pods love that theyre the perfect length too which is something some pods never quite nail down. I still am on tour these days. I think its great hes being honored. Whitley was a longtime alcoholic, who started drinking early in his career at bluegrass gigs, long before he was legally allowed to drink alcohol. 56 0 obj <> endobj Dont get me wrong, Paisley and Krauss did a great job, but for me Jons version drips with pure authenticity. Im afraid to give it to the rest of these boys. unquote. My heart still goes out to his family. He had just finished up his fourth studio album, I Wonder Do You Think of Me. I agree with an earlier comment his take on I never go around mirrors is stunning. 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 The detective handling the case also said that he had a large quantity of alcohol the previous night. Lane Palmer left Whitleys Goodletsville residence at approximately 8:30 a.m., planning to return an hour later for the golf excursion. He was amazing talent that I was fortunate to watch perform weeks before his untimely death. We. His official cause of death was listed as acute ethanolism, according to Autopsy Files. She alleges that Whitleys manager at the time, Jack McFadden, dropped by in between when brother-in-law Lane Palmer made his two visits, but McFadden was unable to get Keith to answer the locked bedroom door. Jason Hannan He called an ambulance, which took Whitley to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. I have seen the birth certificate and passport that shows he was born in 1954. I am not an after-the-fact fan but was one when he was living as I am sure you were too. So sad with such wonderful God given talent. Examples include I Never Go Around Mirrors, Honky Tonk Heart, and the entirety of the Somewhere Between album (which was later re-released under the title Sad Songs and Waltzes. Lorrie Morgan also called into question some of the specifics of how Keith Whitley was discovered on the day he died. He said at the time, quote, I was drinking and wondering what I was going to do. TilBillyHill TXMUSICJIM Putting him in the HoF would be a no-brainer. ~(?=T-((aw68 'ht`iE323,>D_$Gc{dY:/BpT &YG@g Thank you for this picture of a truly great artist and such a tragic story. There have also been lingering questions about just how old Keith Whitley was when he passed. King Honky Of Crackershire If I was going to recommend a traditional country album to anyone, it would be this one. Lucinda Williams, Country When Country Wasn't Cool I will never forget him and he will always have a place in country music and in my heart. keith whitley autopsy report 19 3407 . skyrim se death alternative resurrection. Whitley released his first solo album titled "Hard Act to Follow" in 1984 but didn't have much success. A legend gone too soon. The lineup includes Darryl Worley, Garth Brooks, son Jesse Keith Whitley, Joe . After cutting his teeth with Ralph Stanley, Keith Whitley would later join J.D. Dear Lord, he drank hairspray?! This is so interesting and heartbreaking. Two children Charles Harlan had determined had died of SIDS were later discovered to have been murdered by their parents. Joe Tank Leach https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/induct-keith-whitley-into-the-country-music-hall-of-fame.html, Your email address will not be published. Please read this as being sent with the best of intentions and not to be a troll or to nitpick. He tried to turn down his Hall of Fame induction until Whitley was in: https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/garth-brooks-tried-to-turn-down-hall-of-fame-induction/. May 8, 2019 @ There was definitely more to that weekend and his death. The urine screen was positive for Cocaine and Cocaine metabolites. But with Lorrie Morgan out of town that first weekend of May, 1989, there was nobody there to look after Whitley, or his raging alcoholism. 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. Crowe before moving to Nashville in 1983 where he would soon sign a record deal with RCA, in part due to the attention hed earned in The New South, and the success Music Row was having with fellow Kentuckian Ricky Skaggs as an emerging solo artist. RIP. Jesse Keith Whitley, Morgan and Jackie Keith Whitley's son, followed in his parents' footsteps and is a singer-songwriter. His marriage to Lorrie Morgan would also help settle him, at least to some extent. Whitley's Solo Career . He died from a lethal ingestion of . 11:57 am. I remember the day he passed,, So sad and young. Lorrie Morgan also alluded to shadowy characters in Keith Whitleys life, possibly drug dealers, and others that may have wanted to do Keith Whitley harm for one reason or another. Whitleys voice was stunning in several of his songs. I am the founder of the Down Home in Johnson City, Tn. The details on the request, as well as the address for the request and the request form, can be found on the website of your state's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and/or coroner's office. Did Louisa have a hospital in 54? It didnt take a stretch of the imagination to believe a country music singer had drank himself to death, especially Keith Whitley. In a week, Lorrie would be releasing her debut album on RCA Records called Leave The Light On. The music world mourned the loss of Whitley, and his wife Lorrie Morgan coped with the loss by recording an album as a tribute to her husband, per Country Music Alley. Would he have faded sooner than expected in the early 90s like some other 80s artists did (Skaggs, Ricky Van Shelton, Holly Dunn, etc.) The couple had a baby in June of 1987 named Jesse Keith Whitley, and Whitley also officially adopted Lorries daughter from her first marriage. He had just finished up his fourth studio album called I Wonder Do You Think of Me. To me, hes in the argument for prototypical ideal country baritone. We really dont know, and the mind plays tricks on people. Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan had been married for three years at that point, and they were one of country musics emerging power couples. My Keith Whitley records are some of my most prized possessions. I did so many crazy things while drinking.. On the morning of Tuesday, May 9th, 1989, Keith Whitley spoke to his mother briefly on the phone, and then was visited by his brother-in-law Lane Palmer at his home in Goodletsville, Tennessee, near Nashville. Keith Whitley, Lorrie Morgan, Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs. A great artist one cannot doubt. And u find the bedroom door locked .and even hear something. Here is the article: https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/05/26/Lorrie-Morgan-talks-about-late-husband-Keith-WhitleyCountry-Music/5484612158400/. When Garth Brooks was announced as an inductee into the country Music Hall of Fame in 2012, he tried to turn the honor down, feeling that Keith Whitley specifically, along with Randy Travis, should be inducted first. He was hands down the best country singer I have ever heard. After seeing Lorrie Morgan off, Keith Whitley began a weekend of heavy drinking. TilBillyHill 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. Since that Tuesday in 1989, Keiths death has been my obsession. This speaks to the depths of Keith Whitleys addiction. darya oreshkina wiki; Categorias. Keith arrived at the Nashville airport the morning of May 7th already intoxicated. First of all, I am a big KW fan and liked him when he made his mark. A country music singer that couldnt overcome alcohol if only a person would have been with him 24\7 to stop him from alcohol use . May 8, 2019 @ The woman was not his nursemaid or his substance abuse counselor; she was his wife. However, Lorrie Morgan and the Whitley family have never publicly disputed the finding that alcohol poisoning was ultimately responsible for Keith Whitleys death. This is the best overall article I have ever seen on Keith! He signed with RCA Records and released his first solo effort, the Hard Act to Follow EP, in 1984.The honkytonk-heavy EP wasn't an ideal introduction, but he followed up in 1985 with L.A. to Miami. May 10, 2019 @ This was on top of the alcohol Keith was believed to have consumed the evening before. The singer's blood alcohol level was reported to be .47, or almost five times the amount to be declared intoxicated in Tennessee. May 16, 2019 @ jimincincy Though popular knowledge and much of the reporting on Keith Whitleys death said that he was 33-years-old at the time and was born in 1955, this information supplied by his label RCA Records and printed in many reports and history books turns out to be false. Keiths manager, Don Light, had warned her early on. But Whitley always treated Lorrie Morgan well. It isnt based on what might have been for Keith. Spot on Wayne. In 2019, Whitley's legacy to country music was celebrated on the 30th anniversary of his death. 25 Feb/23. Garth said quote, My generations shot at Haggard and Jones was Keith Whitley. After Lorrie Morgan received news of Keith Whitleys death in May of 1989, and prepared to return to Nashville from her Alaskan promotional trip, she remembered the card Keith had given her at the airport the last time the two saw each other. TilBillyHill Released right before the neotraditional movement that would sweep country music in earnest on the backs of guys like Randy Travis and George Strait, A Hard Act To Follow was deemed to be too country. I realize that I am in the minority on that opinion. Where I got the note to Lorrie was an article posted by UPI on May 26th, 1989 where Lorrie was interviewed. 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. His son is Jesse Keith Whitley. But, it was a great show even from the nosebleeds of Thompson-Boling arena in Knoxville. May 10, 2019 @ I love your list of best vocalists. May 8, 2019 @ 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. And Jesse is a hell of a guy. Only Keith could have saved Keith no one else. These revelations brought up questions if something more couldnt have been done to save Keith Whitley, or something could have been done sooner, while also supplying fuel to the idea there was some sort of cover up surrounding Whitleys death. I put everything on the back burner, including my career, to help Keith. The album was released posthumously, and the title song reached the No. I was working today; an upholsterer, in my garage and went to my CDs. His career was taking off. We loved him then, we love you now, we will always love you for you Keith. During his career, Whitley released only two albums but charted 12 singles on the Billboard country charts, and 7 more after his death. I didnt hear anything to that effect here. His debut album was undoubtedly his breakthrough and spawned . Though Whitley had cleaned up in 1987 after the death of his father and numerous close calls from drinking to excess, the sobriety only lasted about six months before he fell back off the wagon once again, which couldnt have been a surprise to anyone. Lorrie did record a succession of singles in 1979, including one as a posthumous duet with her father, and she recorded a couple of more singles in 1984 too, but nothing that fared well commercially. The truth rides in the heart not elsewhere. No argument there. There is hope in a few acts but no doubt he set a high bar. 7:45 pm. None of us are immune. What Im wondering is. 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. After Lorrie Morgan received news of Keith Whitleys death in May of 1989, and prepared to return to Nashville from her Alaskan promotional trip, she finally opened the card Keith had given her at the airport the last time the two saw each other. 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 didnt even know it. unquote. There will never be another voice like that. If an important criteria for HOF is what could have been, then yes Keith should be in. 1 hits in a row. This is story of the tragic life and death of Keith Whitley who died at the age of 34 due to alcohol abuse, and the conspiracy theories that surrounded it, told through the eyes of his widow Lorrie Morgan. Thanks again for writing this terrific article!!! It didnt take a stretch of the imagination to believe a country music singer had drank himself to death, especially Keith Whitley. It felt sacrilegious that Merle was the first opener. Without the burden of having to care for Keith Whitley, Lorrie Morgans career took off. No doubt Keiths vocals put him in rareified air. Behind his success in music, Jackie Keith Whitley was struggling with his alcoholism. May 10, 2019 @ Healthline states that having an alcohol concentration of 0.40 or higher may cause coma or death. Ricky Skaggs, who Vince Gill had been in a band with in Kentucky in the late 70s called Boone Creek, sang harmonies on the studio version of Go Rest High on That Mountain that was released in 1994. Joe Tank we were living in Kingsport in the late 80s and early 90s right when I first started listening to Keith Whitley. I will hopefully speak with Keiths family on Friday to see if I can get some clarification! I have found many more smaller discrepancies in his account/ version told in Lorries book. May 2, 2021 @ The death of Keith Whitley felt like the next chapter in country musics history of some of its greatest stars passing on too early, from Hank Williams perishing in the back of his Cadillac on New Years Day 1953, to Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Cowboy Copas dying in a plane crash in 1963, or any number of other high profile deaths taking country stars during the height of their popularity. Those 3 had a soul and emotion to their voices that could strike a nerve that others couldnt. Her father was Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member George Morgan, one of country musics classic crooners similar in style to Eddy Arnold and Jim Reeves. May 9, 2019 @ Sometimes folks personal demons get the best of them. Enjoyed your article sent to me by an old buddy today. 7:09 am. I am heading down tomorrow( 5/9) to Nashville for the two tribute shows and to visit the HOF exhibit. However, it was the alcohol consumption that caused his demise. Paisleys remains my favorite. Ill be listening to the 3 hour Keith Whitley tribute that Bobby Bones has planned on his radio show in the morning. 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. Had he not died in 1989 from alcohol poisoning, the "Don't Close Your Eyes" singer would have turned 66 this year . However, I do not think as some do that a Hall of Fame induction is warranted at this point. Welcome to Episode #5 of Country History X, which looks to tell the history of country music, one story at a time. Kristen Luchinsky reasons ; . I also like to think Keiths talents alone could have extended the neotraditional movement into and beyond the late 90s. 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