At just 34 years old, Whitely succumbed to his alcohol abuse, dying in his bed of alcohol poisoning, with a blood alcohol level of .47. 6:06 am, I have read many comments stating its someone elses fault because they didnt stay with him 24/7, the fact is he had an addiction that took him away. 1 hits, and it seemed like his music career was right on track. May 9, 2019 @ I was honored to have gotten the gig. Artist after artist will tell you of his influence on them or decision to pursue the businessfans are still loyal to the man whose voice cannot be matched in raw emotion and genuine country music. Sturgill_Jennings77 thanks for sharing that. I would just like to set the record straight for now and any future articles concerning how Keith got started in Nashville. He needs to be in the Hall. They think it wont happen to me but so many many times it does and before we know it, they are gone from us. He had the love of a good woman, a gift from God in his singing, fame, money and children and still it wasnt enough to be able to over come. The album was released posthumously, and the title song reached the No. I hope he knows 30 years later people still get stirred up and sing along to his amazing sound. Ralph Stanley had a rule that he wouldnt drink with any of the other members of the band, but he would drink with Keith Whitley. The Davidson County medical examiner, Dr. Charles Harlan, said an alcohol. You can handle it, Stanley would say to him. 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. 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. According to the autopsy performed on Whitley, he had an alcohol level of 0.47 in his bloodstream. 56 0 obj <> endobj dying inhalating hair spray is the definitive 80s way to die. Small amounts of cocaine and Valium were also found in his system. if that is the criteria, then they better go back and assimilate a list of artists that would be candidates based on what they could have accomplished. Sad as it was to read the news about Hal Ketchums health and Charlie Robisons retirement, its good to have a site to catch that news without a lot of extraneous filler to weed through, and no click-bait 40-slide/page dragging out a story. I knew Paisley hadnt written it, but not that one of the songwriters recorded it (or could be found in videos playing it). Whitley left the New South in 1982 and moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1983 in hopes of launching a solo career. When it comes to when Lorrie opened the card, the recollection she gave in the interview I cited was weeks removed from when it happened, while her biography was many years after. The singers blood alcohol level was reported to be .47, or almost five times the amount to be declared intoxicated in Tennessee. He was 33 years old. It appeared from his history that like Hank and George, nobody could stop his ultimate self destruction. 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. Only Keith could have saved Keith no one else. KWs consideration should be based upon him solely and not any relative factors such as others who have not made it in. 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.. The blood screen showed traces of Diazepam and Nordiazepam. Best Answer. Since that Tuesday in 1989, Keiths death has been my obsession. I agree on each one of them. The level Whitley had in his system was five times the intoxication limit in Tennessee at that time. Another song on that album, Its All Coming Back to Me Now was in the same class as far stunning vocals. We take the literal meaning and we recall the video, and Garths comments on what the song means to him, and the footage of people like Keith Whitely, Lane Frost, President Kennedy, and the Challenger astronauts). I liked a lot of his songs, but was never a super fan. 0 Brother-in-law Lane Palmer left Whitleys Goodletsville residence at approximately 8:30 a.m., planning to return an hour later for the golf excursion. 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. Both could be right, or both could be wrong. Kristen Luchinsky I do not believe the conspiracy theories that exist or that any foul play was involved. Thanks for researching his actual birthdate. Palmer states in that same video and in Lorries book he walked in while Keith was dying. Like I say I have some great stories and also who I was my first choice and record company and great producer I first talked to and what happened to that deal,etc. The legacy of Keith Whitley has received a resurgence of interest lately leading up to the 30th anniversary of his untimely passing. His son, Jesse (A great man, musically and personally, in his own right), and Lorrie have continuously It does not directly state that she was reading it for the first time. Nowhat might have been thats the reason people found such a gaping hole in their heart from his death. Induct him already. Exactly my thoughts. 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. May 2, 2021 @ Now, I do believe he would have a leading force. He deserves it; his family should get to see it happen; its incredibly sad that his mom didnt get to after all the hard work she put in to keep his music alive and out there for old and new fans. Bobbys good deeds will never cancel out the evil hes done. Im afraid to give it to the rest of these boys. Later Keith Whitley joined J.D. When Palmer returned, he found Whitley fully clothed on his bed, unconscious. Despite his genre of choice being Southern rock, he feels that his father would approve of his music. Hopefully we will all see him elected to the HOF very soon. 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. He was a true country artist and if his demons had not bested him, wouldve been as big as Garth brooks. In my opinion Keith reached that level and should be inducted into the country music Hall of Fame. Sometimes folks personal demons get the best of them. Keiths cause of death was actually given on the same day he died. Dear Lord, he drank hairspray?! Carson and Keith had flown home from Texas, while the rest of the band took the bus back. Charles Harlan had also been giving false testimony in trials for many years. I only saw videos of his concerts. Jackie Keith Whitley was a country musician who rose to fame in the '80s. All this talk about if only he hadnt been left alone, he needed a 24/7 watch, or if only someone had stopped him.. Keiths manager, Don Light, had warned her early on. It would be one of many close calls for Whitley, including driving his own car off a 120-foot cliff and into a frozen river, walking away that time with a broken collar bone. She loved Keith so much. He was also known for making gruesome remarks to families and colleagues about deceased individuals, and reportedly kept body parts in jars around his office, home, and rental property. In 2009, forensic pathologist and then-chief medical examiner Charles W. Harlan stood trial for several cases of forensic fraud which led to the . 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. His debut album was undoubtedly his breakthrough and spawned . IY As for Whitleys age at the time of death, I have also seen people insist he was 34, but I have not been able to find any information to refute the common knowledge that he was 33. Im with you in not thinking more or less of Lorrie either way when it comes to when she first read the note. Whitley was a longtime alcoholic, who started drinking early in his career at bluegrass gigs, long before he was legally allowed to drink alcohol. 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 publishing of Keith Whitleys autopsy report put most of the rumors to bed, though they would re-emerge in subsequent years. 6:02 pm. I was 15 when he died and I still listen to him and love his music. jimincincy Morgans close affiliation with the Opry is how she became a member before she became a proper recording artist. 7:57 am. In addition to alcohol, his urine test also came out positive for cocaine and benzodiazepines, which may have contributed to his death. 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). May 2, 2021 @ A great artist one cannot doubt. It hurts to think about what might have been. His vocals matured so much from the LA to Miami album to Dont Close Your Eyes. And Jesse is a hell of a guy. In the broadcast it gives both the cause of death and Keiths blood alcohol level. 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. The one thing I am sure of is that Lane Palmers version of how/who Keith was found with is a complete lie. If you watch the video Nashville Babylon-Keith Whitley Strange Death you can watch it first being announced. May 11, 2019 @ Enjoyed your article sent to me by an old buddy today. Death Controversy. 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. And by the way, his version of I never go around mirrors is absolutely stunning. 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