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. 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. If the powers think his accomplishments are justified, no argument from me on that. As they say the rest is history. First of all, I am a big KW fan and liked him when he made his mark. Why would Keith Whitley drink himself to death when his career was just hitting its stride, and he had so much to live for? A multitalented, one of a kind, man/musician was lost the day that we lost Keith Whitley. Just before he died, Jackie Keith Whitley had recorded his fourth solo album titled "I Wonder Do You Think of Me." Thanks go to you and to others discussing a remembering a talented artist who, despite the struggles that took his life (or maybe because of them), left us with great music. I have stated previously that ones into the HOF should stand on their own merit and not the fact that others have not made it in yet. I knew Paisley hadnt written it, but not that one of the songwriters recorded it (or could be found in videos playing it). I hope he knows 30 years later people still get stirred up and sing along to his amazing sound. Some fans of Keith Whitley and conspiracy theorists have used the discredited legacy of Charles Harlan to wonder just how accurate the autopsy of Keith Whitley was, and if another cause of death could be possible. skyrim se death alternative resurrection. If I could have any wish I wanted, this is my wish: That in your life which is so precious to me, may worries, troubles and problems never linger. She would save it for the trip home. Each song could have been a single & could have reached the top of the charts, there were no throwaways. It hurts to think about what might have been. He was 33 years old. If I read a post/article, I read all the comments. The cause of death was chronic ethanolism (alcohol poisoning) According to the coroner's report, Keith Whitley died of "Acute Alcohol Poisoning." When his body was found his . The UPI article quotes her as referring to when she read the note on the return flight. His marriage to Lorrie Morgan would also help settle him, at least to some extent. "I thought everybody had to drink to be in this business," Whitley said in an. 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. 11:43 am. I guess I overstated that, but he did have a ride with drugs and alcohol that was almost his demise. That all stopped, however, when he died on May 9, 1989, as reported by AP News. 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 experiencedalso known as the Class of 89 comprising Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, and Travis Trittif it wasnt for Keith Whitley. Disturbing Details Found In Jackie Keith Whitley's Autopsy Grunge 2.14M subscribers Subscribe 1.7K 131K views 1 year ago #CountryMusic #Musician Jackie Keith Whitley was well on his way. ~(?=T-((aw68 'ht`iE323,>D_$Gc{dY:/BpT &YG@g May 8, 2019 @ His Bluegrass days and work at 15 are enough alone to make him a member of The Hall Of Fame. 1:33 pm. In my opinion Keith reached that level and should be inducted into the country music Hall of Fame. But Morgan's . I still am on tour these days. The hair spray bottles were full when Lorrie left for Alaska. It wasnt just what Whitley accomplished before he passed away that left such a gaping hole in the heart of country music, its what many expected him to accomplish in the coming years. Hope it makes sense. Kristen Luchinsky Verns prime years spent on underfunded independent labels until his big break in the late 80s and unfortunate health issues began only a few years after his big break. Stanley would say to him, quote, You can handle it. The official cause of death for Keith Whitley was ruled alcohol poisoning by local medical examiner Charles Harlan on May 10tha day after Whitley's death. It didnt take a stretch of the imagination to believe a country music singer had drank himself to death, especially Keith Whitley. What if he had got to Keith in time. 4:41 am. Thanks for commenting and offering your insight into this story. But when Palmer returned at about 11:30 a.m., he found Whitley fully clothed on his bed, unconscious and unresponsive. If I were to make an inference from this article, I would lean toward the reading on the return flight NOT being the first time she read the card and note. Charles Harlan, Garth Brooks, George Strait, JD Crowe, Keith Whitley, Lorrie Morgan, Ralph Stanley, Randy Travis, Ricky Skaggs, THe New South, Vince Gill. Influence, impact, and significance can be subjective and do not always equate with popularity (#1s, album sales, awards, charted singles or records). Required fields are marked *, Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. Small amounts of cocaine and Valium were also found in his system. Its a god awful shame to see this kind of mindset still out there. Because, booze or drugs, the substance is always going to call the shots. The death of Keith Whitley felt like the next chapter in country musics history of some of its greatest stars ending life 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 away during the height of their popularity. Friends and I saw Lorrie Morgan in concert when she and Merle Haggard opened for Clint Black. Peter Bootsman The death of Keith Whitley seemed like an open and shut case. 7:51 am, It was his time to go.. Not getting into any personal comments here as that has NOTHING to do with whether he should be inducted or not. In just a few years, he had gained the legendary status and had charted 19 singles on the Billboard country charts. Two from each gender: Kris Kristofferson 8:07 pm. On his gravestone are two quotes, Forever yours faithfully and His being was my reason. They make reference to Lorrie Morgan, whose burial plot and headstone sit adjacent to Keith Whitleys. EXCEPT I would put Waylon Jennings instead of Jamey Johnson. I VOTE to accept him into the CMHF. June 29, 2020 @ 3. keith whitley autopsy report. Trigger, that was a very well written take on Whitley. But she has always remained loyal to Keith Whitley, and continues to be one of the biggest champions of his legacy, as does the couples son, Jesse Keith Whitley who has become a country performer in his own right. keith whitley autopsy report keith whitley autopsy report (No Ratings Yet) . 1:59 pm. KWs consideration should be based upon him solely and not any relative factors such as others who have not made it in. Once when riding passenger in a car and sipping on bootleg bourbon with the driver, they tried to take a curve at 120 mph. In this April 30, 2019, photo, Lorrie Morgan poses with her son, Jesse Keith Whitley, left, and adopted daughter Morgan Whitley, right, at the Keith Whitley exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn. Keith Whitley seemed destined for greatness, but his life was cut tragically short at the age of 33 because of his alcohol addiction. Keith Whitley was a solid sounding voice and hit #1s on the charts with songs people could relate to. I recall the shock when I heard the news of his death. Three of those tracks lead 16 Biggest Hits , and "Don't Close Your Eyes," "When You Say Nothing at All," and "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" remain some of the finest songs of '80s country music. And they played that song and announced I had been nominated for best new male vocalist by the Academy of Country Music. Keiths manager, Don Light, had warned her early on. 2:47 pm. The lineup includes Darryl Worley, Garth Brooks, son Jesse Keith Whitley, Joe . He left the medical examiners post in 1994 after three separate women accused him of sexual harassment. He had just finished up his fourth studio album, I Wonder Do You Think of Me. In 2005, the State of Tennessee found Charles Harlan guilty of 20 counts of misconduct and permanently revoked his medical license.Then in 2010, the accusations against Charles Harlan became even more severe, with the doctor being blamed for numerous botched autopsies resulting in false murder convictions, including a man convicted for stabbing and murdering his cousin, when the deceased died after having a seizure and falling on a glass table. It was a tragedy what a voice! Their story would make a great movie. May 11, 2019 @ Might be worth considering a clarifying edit, especially after receiving a report of a source specifically Contradiction the assumption you made. Gay, West Virginia, and happened to walk into the club they were playing and was blown away. Exactly my thoughts. And loved ones like Lorrie wind up collateral damage fighting in a war they were never meant to win. Keith Whitley was 33 years old. who is Keith Whitleys son? Jason Hannan This is a rare case where I prefer a recording by someone other than the songwriter. Would he have faded sooner than expected in the early 90s like some other 80s artists did (Skaggs, Ricky Van Shelton, Holly Dunn, etc.) Born in Ashland, Kentucky, Whitley grew up in nearby Sandy Hook, Kentucky. This is so interesting and heartbreaking. Though it was her debut record, Lorrie was already well-known and revered in country music, and had been a member of the Grand Ole Opry for half a decade as the institutions youngest-ever invited member. For some reason, it took Palmer a considerable amount of time to call the ambulance. Similarly, it does not directly state that she was reading it again or had previously read it. I myself like the traditional songs, sound. I have found many more smaller discrepancies in his account/ version told in Lorries book. King Honky Of Crackershire 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. I will never forget him and he will always have a place in country music and in my heart. What Im wondering is. Then Keiths 1988 record Dont Close Your Eyes set him on the path to downright superstardom, landing him his first #1 hit with the title track, which would set off a succession of five straight #1 songs from Whitley. 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. This thinking led to tragedy, such as Nashville crooner Keith Whitley dying at age 33 of alcohol poisoning. He was hands down the best country singer I have ever heard. 8:14 am. The recognition is the fact that he helped influence an entire decade of country music. 9:59 am. May 9, 2019 @ So sad with such wonderful God given talent. Actually thats not what he told Lorrie in her book. This, of course, is pure speculation from a person who knew/knows neither of them. Despite his genre of choice being Southern rock, he feels that his father would approve of his music. He called an ambulance, which took Whitley to a local hospital where Keith Whitley was pronounced dead. 4:54 pm. 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. I liked a lot of his songs, but was never a super fan. Also, Garths recommendation means nothing. I have spent way too many hours researching Keiths life and death. Little did Lorrie Morgan know how much the note would mean to her, and how poignant it would be when she opened it a week later. February 2, 2020 @ Your email address will not be published. Over the years many people have asked me why I had never called people and corrected them in various articles over the years concerning Keiths early history and some of my interesting and fun storys while I was shopping our tape around Nashviile. May 10, 2019 @ You couldnt put that soul in your singing if you werent about three sheets in the wind. Unquote. (Kind of like whether the lyrics to The Dance say could of when they should say could have. Ultimately, the writer writes from their perspective. His voice fills me with excitement, sadness, joy and many other emotions. Morgan, Whitley's wife of 2 1/2 years, was propelled into the limelight after his death - probably more out of a belated fascination with Whitley than with deep interest in Morgan. The singer's blood alcohol level was reported to be .47, or almost five times the amount to be declared intoxicated in Tennessee. Would you like to know what I wish for you? Keith is the best vocalist period in all genres of Music combined at any point and time. 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. To blame Lorrie for his alcoholism and accidental alcohol poisoning is cruel and preposterous. Carson and Keith had flown home from Texas, while the rest of the band took the bus back. I thought as much as I loved Keith, surely that would help him. 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. She insists to this day that Keith never said a negative word to her, or raised his voice at her during the entirety of their marriage. Additionally, Keith Whitley's death didn't just shake his friends and family. Wow, Marc Cohen The cause of death for Keith Whitley was officially ruled alcohol poisoning by local medical examiner Charles Harlan on May 10tha day after Whitley's death. After Keith Whitley's death, Lorrie Morgan, shown with her husband Jon Randall, went on to become one of country music's most popular singers. There was definitely more to that weekend and his death. May 10, 2019 @ But anyway thanks for the audio entertainment all the guns up. Kinda like Lexington claiming Stapleton since He was born there. Randy Travis and Keith opened the doors for all the acts of the 90s with there style and straightforward approach to real country music. It felt like a piece of that era was missing without Whitley around to participate. But, I get that this literally is not something to make into a federal case. 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. As the Chicago Tribune reported at the time, When his death was first discovered, there was a widespread rumor that it was a suicide. A .47 alcohol level seemed exceptionally high, even for Keith Whitley. After seeing Lorrie Morgan off, Keith Whitley began a weekend of heavy drinking. Whitley was considered country musics next superstar. I was on pins and needles when he was on the road. unquote.Lorrie Morgan was very much a daughter of country music, who would end up blossoming into a wife and a mother of the genre as well. After a years-long career in the bluegrass genre, Whitley moved the Nashville in 1983 to pursue a country music career. On the morning of Tuesday, May 9th, 1989, 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. The official cause of death for Keith Whitley was ruled alcohol poisoning by local medical examiner Charles Harlan on May 10tha day after Whitleys death. But what about the many that have been? I always pause when some think of potential rather than the actual for HOF criteria. His brother in law Lane was an extremely shady character imo. No doubt Keiths vocals put him in rareified air. I spent a few minutes with him and he was drinking a lot that night and I was so certain that he was going to screw up and ruin his own show but to my surprise he was a hit and put everything he had into the show and left the crowd screaming for more. Respectfully, Jim, Keith Whitley fans, please consider signing this petition for him to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame: In 2009, forensic pathologist and then-chief medical examiner Charles W. Harlan stood trial for several cases of forensic fraud which led to the . Whitley moved to Nashville in 1983 and soon signed a record deal with RCA. They think it wont happen to me but so many many times it does and before we know it, they are gone from us. Keith was from Sandy Hook, KY. Its there that the statue of him resides. Joan Shedeck I thought as much as I loved Keith, surely that would help him. However, he decided to leave the group in 1973, and from there, he worked with various acts and bands before embarking on a solo career in 1982. I hope his soul is at peace. Stanley discovered the boys when he blew a tire in Ft. We stil love Lorrie Morgans songs also. Lane Palmer left Whitleys Goodletsville residence at approximately 8:30 a.m., planning to return an hour later for the golf excursion. My gut says it was cocaine that killed him, but to just blame alcohol as to aviod the embarrassment. It was early May, 1989. I think Keith Whitley may be one of the biggest What-ifs in country music history. It was a living hell. Potential rather than the songwriter Keith had flown home from Texas, while the rest of the charts with people. Fills me with excitement, sadness, joy and many other emotions from each gender: Kristofferson... Written take on Whitley You think of me. an extremely shady character imo his father would approve of death... 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