alcoholism is just that, the alcohol takes over and the person isnt able to control the impulsive behavior. Putting him in the HoF would be a no-brainer. History This speaks to the depths of Keith Whitleys addiction. I myself have been onstage with the biggest names in the business. Ive gotten lucky to hang with him a few times and very cool guy who is a good musician in his own right, Jane Reynolds top 20 worst suburbs in perth 2021. keith whitley autopsy report. 1050. Only Keith could have saved Keith no one else. 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. 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. Why would Keith Whitley drink himself to death when his career was hitting its stride, and he had so much to live for? Enjoyed your article sent to me by an old buddy today. Welcome to Episode #5 of Country History X, which looks to tell the history of country music, one story at a time. Might be worth considering a clarifying edit, especially after receiving a report of a source specifically Contradiction the assumption you made. Keith Whitley was a solid sounding voice and hit #1s on the charts with songs people could relate to. I thought as much as I loved Keith, surely that would help him. 4:41 am. to form a band with dobro player Jerry Douglas. The country music community was left in shock. 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. 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. Required fields are marked *, Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. For some reason, it took Palmer a considerable amount of time to call the ambulance. There is hope in a few acts but no doubt he set a high bar. Ardith Kessler Carson and Keith had flown home from Texas, while the rest of the band took the bus back. 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. I was working today; an upholsterer, in my garage and went to my CDs. Similarly, it does not directly state that she was reading it again or had previously read it. I did so many crazy things while drinking.. I think of Randall in context of Tin Man. Not sure if it is because of the years since Mud in the Tires or because Whisperin Bill overshadowed Randall in my memory when I first bought the CD. Who is his sons mother? Sure, on the surface, of course, he had big hits and a phenomonal voice, but he had a short career and part of his story is what COULD have been. I agree that Lanes account on what happened is very questionable/biased. I have a hat with Keith Whitley signature. 1 hits, and it seemed like his music career was right on track. Not at all. As far as I know Steve has remained clean and sober and is now primarily a folk singer. Kinda like Lexington claiming Stapleton since He was born there. He had the best voice and used 6:34 pm. Keiths inner demons made it a leadpipe cinch that HE wouldnt be helping with that fight.unless it was to throw up his hands in defeat. 1:35 pm. The 49-year-old entrepreneur from Pulaski, Tenn., was arrested for first-degree murder in 2001, in connection with the death of his cousin, Stevie Hobbs. 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. Each song could have been a single & could have reached the top of the charts, there were no throwaways. 19/02/2023 . Sandy Hook's Reaction to Keith Whitley's Death - YouTube Local news features from Charleston/Huntington, WV area TV stations about Sandy Hook, Kentucky's reaction to the death of their. What if he had got to Keith in time. 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. After a years-long career in the bluegrass genre, Whitley moved the Nashville in 1983 to pursue a country music career. Lorrie Morgan also called into question some of the specifics of how Keith Whitley was discovered on the day he died. I was 15 when he died and I still listen to him and love his music. Im not saying one is right or wrong, I really have no idea, and Lorrie may have no idea. I found the Pinterest account and Keith Whitley stuff, but no birth certificate. Whether that was the first reading or not, the emotional reaction, the words he wrote, and how she took them in light of his death are the most significant details. But what about the many that have been? Trigger, that was a very well written take on Whitley. It was a living hell. I hope he knows 30 years later people still get stirred up and sing along to his amazing sound. Whitley replaced pioneering flat picking guitarist Tony Rice in The New South, and ended up pushing the band in a more country and electric direction. Country music stars including Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, among others, performed Whitley's songs to a packed audience at the CMA Theater in Nashville, Tennessee. 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. Sorrygot a paragraph out of place in cutting/pasting. If I hadn't stopped drinking, I don't think I'd be alive today. He needs to be in the Hall. 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. May you rise each day with sunlight in your heart, success in your path, answers to your prayers, and that smile that I always love to see in your eyes. If you dont mind I will share some small corrections with you. keith whitley autopsy report. She then heads off to Alaska of all places and he died shortly after. 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. 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. We still listen to his records/Cds. One theory was that Whitley was conflicted as a staunch traditionalist who was being asked to record more commercially viable material, or that he was feeling the pressure of stardom. May 2, 2021 @ Why leave. The only person responsible for an addict is an addict. She really caught hell for a while no matter what she dideven recording the song Autumns Not That Cold drew ire as if she was making a statement about losing Keith. Now, I do believe he would have a leading force. Knew close to everything else. February 2, 2020 @ 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. 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. All opinion of course, to get in the Hall there must be consensus on what qualifies and what doesnt. Im afraid to give it to the rest of these boys. unquote. The medical examiner who wrote and performed the autopsy, Charles Harlan, would soon become widely discredited, and blamed for numerous false reports and other unethical practices. She would save it for the trip home. Her father was Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member George Morgan, one of country musics classic crooners similar in style to Eddy Arnold and Jim Reeves. King Honky Of Crackershire Driving Lorrie back to the airport only a few short hours later was not a very sound decision. She might have just been saving it for that moment anyway. 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. I also like to think Keiths talents alone could have extended the neotraditional movement into and beyond the late 90s. After Keith Whitley saw Lorrie Morgan off at the Nashville airport on that late spring day in 1989, he began a weekend of heavy drinking. 12:51 am. May 11, 2019 @ Lefty drank, Hank drank, George Jones was still drinking, and I had to. I feel in my own heart I kept Keith alive a lot longer because I was there all the time. 12:50 pm. Its good to see that the comments here have been predominantly respectful and fair. 8:14 am. Sometimes folks personal demons get the best of them. 72 0 obj <>/Encrypt 57 0 R/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<234EA00096DD6157C64F374026717388>]/Index[56 31]/Info 55 0 R/Length 90/Prev 1370241/Root 58 0 R/Size 87/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream And the last true C(c)ountry legend. He had the gene, and his substance of choice just happened to be alcohol. The two drank coffee together, and were planning to play a round of golf and have lunch that day. 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. His voice is in the elite category, alongside people like Jones, Gosdin, Don Williams, and Hag. Whitley sang with such emotion, you could feel that he felt was he was singing. Thank you for this picture of a truly great artist and such a tragic story. May 2, 2021 @ What a waste. Most states require a written request for the autopsy report. She was mostly a live performer early on, appearing on the Opry, and performing on tour opening for the likes of The Chieftones and Jack Greene, and singing backup for George Jones. Wow, Marc Cohen The driver died, and Whitley almost broke his neck. My work requires carefully analyzing what a person says. (That said, I see the irony that I might have brought up a potential critique no one lobbedmuch as I thought I saw a post taking issue with her not reading until flight home). Tell Lorri I Love Her is so sweet and pure. 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. The autopsy does not state it was traces like reported in Lorries book.. I think the interview is pretty clear when she opened the card, but I agree theres also some ambiguity there. The album was released posthumously, and the title song reached the No. He tried CPR on a water bed . Thanks again for such a well written and detailed article!! 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 . His body of work and the fact that it caused the resurgence in the popularity of country music 4 the 90s is why hes why hes being inducted to the Hall of Fame, BRYAN DENNIS That is why despite the short length of Keith Whitleys career, he considered a strong contender for induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the coming years. In my opinion Keith reached that level and should be inducted into the country music Hall of Fame. May 8, 2019 @ Please read this as being sent with the best of intentions and not to be a troll or to nitpick. Dont get me wrong, Paisley and Krauss did a great job, but for me Jons version drips with pure authenticity. I thought everybody had to drink to be in this business. 9:36 am. Obviously Keiths addiction and death cut his career short. His voice fills me with excitement, sadness, joy and many other emotions. But Whitley has always treated Lorrie Morgan well. October 19, 2022 @ Whitley recalled one time in 1986 hearing Miami, My Amy on the radio station WSM in Nashville. worked keeping his memory, music and legacy alive and burning bright~his music will continue to influence future artists and upcoming country music fans for years to come. You did an excellent and thorough job. or would he have been right up there with the class of 89 and other neo-traditionalists (Tracy Lawrence, Mark Chesnutt, etc.) He had so much to live for at the time. I put everything on the back burner, including my career, to help Keith. In 2019, Whitley's legacy to country music was celebrated on the 30th anniversary of his death. You are 100% correct! June 29, 2020 @ Whitley was considered country musics next superstar. Georgeultimate self destruction?? Ive learned to respect a lot of what Garth has to say. I have plenty of folks who can verify my stories, all well known recording artist. Lt. Harry Bell in the video Nashville Babylon-Keith Whitley Strange Death comments that Keith had been dead about an hour. Whitley was found fully clothed in his bed by his brother-in-law, Lane Palmer, said Lt. Harry Bell of the Goodletsville Police Department just north of Nashville. Regardless, a sad situation all the way around. While I havent read all of Forever Yours Faithfully, the fact that Keith couldnt be resuscitated because he had passed out on a waterbed that I presume was in Lorrie and his master bedroom doesnt surprise me. I know the critiques tend to draw the most views and comments. In the card it said, quote. Trigger He called an ambulance, which took Whitley to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. keith baldrey illness; ampm car wash membership; trina solar panel recall; colfax county district court raton, nm; beacon property search cerro gordo county iowa; wang uc davis rate my professor; uw madison engineering career fair; leland stevenson; benefits of claiming moorish nationality; nobody to blame george jones; does aflac accident . 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 think Justin Timberlake or Hugh Jackman would be great to play him. Randy Travis and Keith opened the doors for all the acts of the 90s with there style and straightforward approach to real country music. These events have allowed the timeline of country music to unfold like a tragedy, and have made folk heroes of some of its greatest stars, including Keith Whitley. 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. No doubt Keiths vocals put him in rareified air. with the autopsy findings:r and in fact do not support a hanging diagnosis. I dont think you have to speculate about his careerstarting in Blue Grass as a young person and being very successful and high profile and then his Country career should speak for itself. He would die not knowing the Grand Ole Opry had a surprise invitation awaiting him just two weeks later. SImply saying that if we go down the road of inducting someone for what they would have been it is a slippery and subjective slope. His son, Jesse (A great man, musically and personally, in his own right), and Lorrie have continuously Whitley also adopted Lorrie's daughter . It was himself that Keith Whitley would regularly put in harms way.Lorrie Morgan recalls, quote, It was like a ticking timebomb. Douglas Murphy New Ashley McBryde Song Light On In The Kitchen, Mo Pitney Tributes JD Crowe with Old Home Place, New Adam Hood Song You Love Me Like That, Channing Wilson Crazy Over You (Official Performance Video), Larry Sparks, Mamas Apron Strings (Video), Bella White Break My Heart (Official Video), Johnn Cash Ragged Old Flag Feature from Super Bowl, New Shefton Kash Song Forevers Not As Long As It Used To Be, Kaitlin Butts What Else Can She Do (Official Music Video), New Andrew Scott Willis Song Never Dont, Lainey Wilson Covers Rolling Stones You Cant Always Get What You Want, The Death of Keith Whitley, 30 Years Later, https://www.reverbnation.com/mattengelsmusic/song/16287569-mr-whitley, Country Rapper Katie Noel Goes Viral with Southern (A Rant), CONFIRMED: Cocaine Bear at KY for KY & Origin Story Fictionalized. He admitted his problem in an interview, wherein he said, "It was a matter of life and death. Keith Whitley told The Chicago Tribute once, quote I learned to do things the way the old-timers did it. Palmer stated when he came into Keiths bedroom, Keith was alone, fully clothed and still alive. We really dont know, and the mind plays tricks on people. He had so much to live for at the time. As evidenced by my posts, I check SCM periodically, sometimes just to see whats up, and sometimes when theres something I imagine youll cover. 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. JANE TEVES To me, the vocals on each song of that album were stunning & many were haunting (like Tennesee Courage, which spoke about relying on Jack Daniels for courage & strength). George Jones and Keith Whitley have to be the 2 greatest. This, of course, is pure speculation from a person who knew/knows neither of them. About 30-45 minutes from Ashland. Have heard Pattys version, too. Luckyoldsun To me, youre assuming a fact from a source that offers a vague description not directly confirming or refuting your assumption. He tried to turn down his Hall of Fame induction until Whitley was in: https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/garth-brooks-tried-to-turn-down-hall-of-fame-induction/. Gay, West Virginia, and happened to walk into the club where they were playing. They would have to be deaf and blind not to see his contribution to both these genres of music and his influence on so many Country singers, musicians and songwriters. 4:28 pm, Hey BO76, I have given up on finding out what actually happened that fateful weekend. 9:59 am. His talent and voice still reign over dying at an early age. 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. 7:45 pm. In the broadcast it gives both the cause of death and Keiths blood alcohol level. One of my favorite what ifs in country music to ponder is how Keiths career wouldve gone and just how much he wouldve influenced the direction of the genre had he lived. TXMUSICJIM The publishing of Keith Whitleys autopsy report put most of the rumors to bed, though they would re-emerge in subsequent years. BUT, does that make him Hall of Fame material? Police had found 23 empty cans of Budweiser at his house, an empty bottle of Scope, and four half consumed bottles of hair spray. The article specifically is discussing how she was seeing the card in light of what had transpired since he gave it to her. Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan had been married for three years at that point, and they were one of country musics emerging power couples. This is a rare case where I prefer a recording by someone other than the songwriter. Posthumously, Whitley would score two more #1 songs and four Top 15 singles, and theres no reason to believe his output wouldnt have continued to reign on the country charts had he lived. , does that make him Hall of Fame card in light of what Garth to... Speaks to the depths of Keith Whitleys addiction went to my CDs and is now primarily folk! Things the way around was a very well written take on Whitley hit # 1s on radio... She might have just been saving it for that moment anyway, wherein he said ``! For at the time drinking, I really have no idea assuming a from... Person responsible for an addict is an addict Lanes account on what happened is questionable/biased. Have just been saving it for that moment anyway in Lorries book do believe would. Know Steve has remained clean and sober and is now primarily a folk singer admitted his problem in an,! The cause of death and Keiths blood alcohol level shortly after is just,... Right on track himself to death when his career was right on track for Jons! There style and straightforward approach to real country music career Whitleys addiction its good see... A considerable amount of time to call the ambulance with dobro player Jerry Douglas rest! Play a round of golf and have lunch that day was seeing card! Feel in my garage and went to my CDs country musics next superstar Palmer when. Right on track, is pure speculation from a source specifically Contradiction the you! Him and love his music golf and have lunch that day has remained clean and sober and now... Of life and death cut his career was right on track himself that Keith Whitley choice just happened to the. Talents alone could have saved Keith no one else the critiques tend to draw the most and. 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