Also Lorrie Morgans other husband Jon Randall wrote the song Whiskey Lullaby while going through a divorce with her. He was also used to flirting with danger. 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 and Morgan clearly loved each other but couldnt avoid the inevitable. The words of his card/note to her reminded me of it. 8:43 am. I guess I overstated that, but he did have a ride with drugs and alcohol that was almost his demise. 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. It is right before they interview Keiths close friend T.Graham Brown. Born in Ashland, Kentucky and raised in the small town of Sandy Hook, Keith Whitley received his start in country music during high school as a member of Ralph Stanleys bluegrass band The Clinch Mountain Boys, right beside long time friend Ricky Skaggs. He was just so wildly talented. My view was coming from a different world conducting investigations with civil and/or criminal implications. She says in the interview, When I read the card on the way back home, I felt like he was trying to tell me something. Im not saying that the book is wrong or the article is right. A full transcript and sources for the story can be found below. I do agree with you that with Keiths short career, his main case is going to have to be focused on his one in a million voice and ultimately his influence on the 90s stars. May 10, 2019 @ 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. Sturgill_Jennings77 Luckyoldsun May 8, 2019 @ Alcoholism is a terrible disease. Terri Morrows throughout the next decade? 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. Also, Garths recommendation means nothing. I think a few minor mistakes were in either Lorries book and other previous articles. Here is the article: https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/05/26/Lorrie-Morgan-talks-about-late-husband-Keith-WhitleyCountry-Music/5484612158400/. But that is not the criteria that should be considered KWs case. So sad with such wonderful God given talent. I am not an after-the-fact fan but was one when he was living as I am sure you were too. Keith also suffered from depression from an early age. review of the history and 'a-utpsy of the body of Mt. History Heard about it from high school friends who had less strict parents, then we all moved away for college. +c|kc)1W7a@n< _8 The two drank coffee together, and were planning to play a round of golf and have lunch that day. He had just finished up his fourth studio album, I Wonder Do You Think of Me. His voice fills me with excitement, sadness, joy and many other emotions. May 9, 2019 @ 1 spot on record charts. Tragic. Lefty drank, Hank drank, George Jones was still drinking, and I had to. jimincincy Wish they had made the movie of his life that was talked about at one point. 5:11 am. Hearing rustling sounds inside, Jack McFadden didnt show any grave concern, and ultimately left the house. Thank you so much for writing such a great article!! Will this tribute to Keith ever be televised?? She loved that man w all her heart and soul and nothing couldve saved Kieth, but Keith. 19/02/2023 . Once when riding passenger in a car and passing a bottle back and forth with the driver, they tried to take a sharp curve at 120 mph. My heart still goes out to his family. May 8, 2019 @ Actually thats not what he told Lorrie in her book. 6:02 pm. Why leave. 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. May 8, 2019 @ Stanley would say to him, quote, You can handle it. who is Keith Whitleys son? Keith Whitley absolutely should be in the HOF; this was the perfect year to do it, but it should be done post haste. The detective handling the case also said that he had a large quantity of alcohol the previous night. May 8, 2019 @ Great job!! Obviously Keiths addiction and death cut his career short. 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. I only saw videos of his concerts. She also dated actor and United States Senator Fred Thompson, and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. 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. After seeing Lorrie Morgan off, Keith Whitley began a weekend of heavy drinking. Im sorry for the loss of Mr. Whitley and I hope his family is well. TilBillyHill Why would Lorrie Morgan leave Keiths Whitley side when he were to be alone. 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. Keith Whitleys first major record was a 1984 EP called A Hard Act To Follow, and it didnt fare too well. On this date, in 1989, the country music world tragically said goodbye to the great Keith Whitley. Sturgill_Jennings77 Kristen Luchinsky In a week, Lorrie would be releasing her debut album on RCA Records, Leave The Light On, and had tour dates booked to promote the new release. 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. Dont get me wrong, Paisley and Krauss did a great job, but for me Jons version drips with pure authenticity. February 2, 2020 @ King Honky Of Crackershire His brother in law Lane was an extremely shady character imo. He came into his own here. endstream endobj 57 0 obj <>>>/Filter/Standard/Length 128/O(xn?!b}D>,)/P -1340/R 4/StmF/StdCF/StrF/StdCF/U(1 9po )/V 4>> endobj 58 0 obj <><><>]/ON[75 0 R]/Order[]/RBGroups[]>>/OCGs[74 0 R 75 0 R]>>/OutputIntents 54 0 R/Pages 53 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 59 0 obj <>/ProcSet[/PDF/ImageB]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/Type/Page>> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream May 10, 2021 @ 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. 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. Healthline states that having an alcohol concentration of 0.40 or higher may cause coma or death. In the book, Morgan goes into some fairly lurid details of Keith Whitleys life and death, including accusations of infidelity, and how she couldnt even trust Whitley around alcohol-based toiletries or beauty products due to his addiction, even having to tie his legs to hers at night so he wouldnt sneak out of bed to drink, and how she would have to sometimes accompany him when he used the bathroom to make sure he wouldnt guzzle something on the counter or beneath the sink. There was also an exhibit that displayed instruments, clothes, and other memorabilia that Whitley owned. 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. The last minor detail involves the autopsy. He had just finished up his fourth studio album called I Wonder Do You Think of Me. Whitley's Solo Career . June 29, 2020 @ . But anyway thanks for the audio entertainment all the guns up. Jason Hannan 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. 1 country chart spot for two weeks. Whether truth or innuendo, its not fair to put that on Lorrie. 12:43 pm. 78 Comments. If you dont mind I will share some small corrections with you. Kevin Smith endstream endobj startxref Too country? Whitley remarked at the time, What business am I in? But the 1985 album L.A. to Miami, which took a bit more of a pragmatic approach put Keith Whitley on the map with songs like Miami, My Amy, Ten Feet Away, and Hard Livin. Though the production of Miami, My Amy was much more contemporary, and the lyrics written by Hank Cochran and Dean Dillon were a little forced, it was the voice of Keith Whitley soaring from the song that spoke to many, and it soon became one of his signature tunes. 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. It isnt based on what might have been for Keith. So, im not sure i see him getting in ahead of bigger influencers and stars with lifetime careers. 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 . There was definitely more to that weekend and his death. Though it was her debut release, Lorrie Morgan was already well-known and revered in country music, and had been a member of the Grand Ole Opry for half a decade. Even then, we would have to figure out why there is a discrepancy in between the two dates. Mary Chapin Carpenter 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. December 18, 2019 @ The next day, they lined Music Row in Nashville with black ribbons in remembrance. The blood screen showed traces of Diazepam and Nordiazepam. (As I wrote this, The Dance player in my mind, along with Im No Stranger to the Rain, Brotherly Love, I Wonder, Do You Think of Me, and some of Lorries songs. To me, Vern and Keith are the 2nd and 3rd greatest country singers to stand behind a mic (Jones the greatest ever, period), and are often overlooked and underappreciated due to lifes circumstances. I have a hat with Keith Whitley signature. 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.. I have plenty of folks who can verify my stories, all well known recording artist. 11:12 am. That didn't stop the singer from releasing a second album the next year. I will never forget him and he will always have a place in country music and in my heart. The most interesting evidence against his story is in you tube video Lorrie Morgan on Geraldo 11/14/97. Lorrie Morgan is a rare Nashville, Tennessee native in country, who grew up around the music, and in the wings of the Grand Ole Opry, making her first appearance on the show at the age of 13, singing the song Paper Roses, and receiving a standing ovation. The country music community was left in shock. 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. Please read this as being sent with the best of intentions and not to be a troll or to nitpick. His son, Jesse (A great man, musically and personally, in his own right), and Lorrie have continuously Whitley released three successful albums with J.D. I have said my piece!!! 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