Keith Whitley (1954 - 1989) - Find A Grave Memorial

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Keith Whitley

Birth:	Jul. 1, 1954
Death:	May 9, 1989
Country Singer. Husband of country singer Lorrie Morgan. Born Jackie Keith Whitley in Sandy Hook, Kentucky. Keith learned to play guitar at age 6 and first appeared on the Buddy Starcher's regional TV show at age 8. He formed a bluegrass band with his friend Ricky Skaggs a few years later. When both teenagers were 15 years old they were asked to play a local show when Ralph Stanley's entourage was running late. Stanley hired them for his band and they stayed for two years until Keith went to work for Carl Jackson. By 1974 he had already survived a car crash (at 120 mph) and driving a car off a cliff into a river but by 1978 his excessive drinking made him unreliable, it did however, give him a hardened, honky-tonk voice. In 1986, he married rising country music singer Lorrie Morgan and cracked the Top 20 for the first time with "Miami, My Amy." Keith finally reached No. 1 in 1988 with "Don't Close Your Eyes." He continued his streak with his well known song "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" but sadly, in the midst of his newly found success, he died at his home from alcohol poisoning due to excessive alcohol intake on the night of May 8, 1989. (bio by: Just another taphophile) Cause of death: Alcohol poisoning Search Amazon for Keith Whitley

Burial: Spring Hill Cemetery Nashville Davidson County Tennessee, USA
Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: May 04, 1998 Find A Grave Memorial# 2864