Keith Whitley Finally Gets His Due
The late country singer from Sandy Hook, Kentucky, will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this fall.
On May 9, 1989, the world of country music and I were in utter shock when up-and-coming country star Keith Whitley died of alcohol poisoning at his home in Nashville. He was only 34 years old. This fall, Whitley will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (CMHOF)… a long overdue recognition.
Jackie Keith Whitley, born in Ashland, Kentucky, and raised in Sandy Hook, Kentucky, made his mark on country music during the late 1980s. Hit hit songs included “Miami, My Amy”, “Don’t Close Your Eyes”, “When You Say Nothing At All”, and “I’m No Stranger To The Rain” (his final hit just before he died).
Before his country success, Whitley and fellow Kentuckian Ricky Skaggs were in bluegrass singer Ralph Stanley’s band during the 1970s. Skaggs would go on to become a country star in his own right during the 1980s.
Garth Brooks, Josh Turner, and the late Daryle Singletary are among those country singers who have proudly cited him as an influence. Here’s what Garth Brooks said at his own induction into the CMHOF in 2012…
“My generation’s shot at Haggard and Jones was Keith Whitley. Keith needs to be in here.”1
Back in 2009, my wife and I took our very first trip as a couple to Nashville. While my wife was attending classes in downtown Nashville, I spent a day doing a “tombstone tour” to visit several country music singers’ final resting places. During that tour, I stopped by Spring Hill Cemetery to pay my respects to “The Kentucky Bluebird”. Here’s my picture of his gravesite…
Of all the gravesites I visited, I stayed here the longest (about 15-20 minutes, IIRC). During that visit to pay homage to Whitley, I couldn’t help but ask him, “Why did you leave us too early? You had everything going for you, dude.”
Whitley’s untimely death also makes me think of Hank Williams, Sr., country music’s first superstar. Like Whitley, Hank’s career was short, he died young, and made a lasting impact on the world of country music and influenced later generations of country singers. This fall, Whitley will be duly enshrined alongside Hank in the CMHOF.
I offer my congratulations to Keith’s widow Lorrie Morgan (a successful singer in her own right and daughter of CMHOF member George Morgan), his daughter Morgan, son (and singer in his own right) Jesse Keith, Keith’s grandkids, and the entire Whitley family. My prayers are also with them as well.
Next time I’m in Nashville, I’m going to stop by Keith’s grave again to celebrate his induction and make another visit to the CMHOF after his plaque has been dedicated.
For more about Whitley’s short life and career, please read his Wikipedia article.
Last, but not least, here’s the video of Keith singing my favorite of all his hits…
Thank you, Keith, for “keeping it country”, and may you rest in His eternal peace.
"Keith Whitley Is Newest Inductee Into Country Music Hall of Fame”, Saving Country Music website, May 17, 2022.