Keith Whitley’s tragically brief career allowed him to leave an indelible influence on country music. From the release of his first song in 1984 until his untimely death in 1989, Whitley amassed a total of 19 top 40 hits.
The country music community was aware of Whitley’s drinking before and after his marriage to Lorrie Morgan, and she did what she could to assist him.
The country music community was rocked by the news of Whitley’s death on May 9, 1989, and even more so when it was learned that alcoholism had been the direct cause of death.
Partying all weekend long, he was reportedly found face down and fully clothed at his home on Monday morning, having passed away from alcohol poisoning. Death came too soon for Whitley, who had only just turned 33.
At The Beginning, There Was Musical Triumph.
On July 1, 1955, Jackie Keith Whitley entered the world. He made his radio debut on WCHS in Charleston, West Virginia when he was just 8 years old, performing a cover of Hank Williams’ “You Win Again.”
Whitley and his older brother Dwight, along with their pal and future Country Music Hall of Famer Ricky Skaggs, started a band when he was just 13 years old. Two years later, Whitley and Skaggs became members of Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain Boys.
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What Girl Did Keith Whitley Marry?
It was well knowledge in the country music industry that Whitley was an alcoholic, and following his marriage to Lorrie Morgan, she reportedly tried to assist him conquer his problem.
When drinking was ultimately determined to be the cause of Whitley’s death on May 9, 1989, it sent shockwaves throughout the country and the world.
After a weekend of heavy drinking, he was discovered face down and fully dressed in his own home. At 33 years old, Whitley lost his life too soon.
In What How Did Keith Whitley Disappear?
Illness from alcoholism plagued Whitley. Most of his life was spent in the company of drink. He developed an early taste for booze at bluegrass concerts as a teenager and spent a lot of time trying to kick the habit.
Because of his depression, quitting was even more of a struggle for him. It was only when Whitley was alone himself that anyone discovered his drinking problem.
His wife, Lorrie Morgan, had tried many times without success to help him quit drinking. Before, every night, Morgan would bind their legs together so she’d be alerted if he tried to get out of bed to grab a drink.
How Did Keith Whitley Pass Away?
After a weekend of revelry in Nashville, Whitley passed away on May 9, 1989. In that year, he would have been 33 years old.
His death certificate said that he had died from alcohol poisoning. Blood alcohol content of 47% was over six times the limit in that state. Eighth of a percent.
Hitley departed the New South in 1982 to pursue a solo career in Nashville, Tennessee. When he originally joined RCA Records in 1984, he put out an EP called Hard Act to Follow. Although his initial honkytonk-heavy E.P.
wasn’t the finest way to kick things off, he more than made up for it with 1985’s L.A. to Miami.
Reasons For Keith Whitley’s Untimely Demise
Officials say they found the body of Keith Whitley, a country singer and songwriter famous for heartbreaking honky-tonk melodies that celebrated both sadness and happiness, at his house on a Tuesday. He was 33.
Whitley’s brother-in-law, Officer Lane Palmer of the Goodlettsville Police Department, situated north of Nashville, found him sleeping in his clothes.
Singing legend Amy Winehouse was found dead of an apparent alcohol overdose, according to Medical Examiner Charles Harlan.
Harlan claims that the singer’s BAC was.477, which is nearly five times the legal limit for intoxication in Tennessee.
Whitley, an autopsy revealed, also had cocaine and Valium in his system. Harlan speculates that the singer’s death was due to alcohol poisoning, but maintains that the drugs were merely contributing factors.
