Keith Whitley Lyrics, Bio
And Acoustic Guitar Tutorials

Discover Keith Whitley lyrics, music and acoustic tutorials on this page. There is also a bit of background on this great entertainer.

Jessie Keith Whitley was a country musician from Sandy Hook Kentucky and as many know, began his career in bluegrass music and played for the famous bluegrasser Ralph Stanley. Ricky Skaggs also played in the Stanley band and him and Keith became great friends.

Early on as a teenager, to say Keith was a bit of a daredevil would be an understatement. But like alot of young people, alcohol can get one to try just about anything. Keith had several close calls racing cars and mixing booze, but lived thru those incidents.

In 1984 he launched his music career with limited succes, but in 1986 he scored some recognition with his first top 20, Miami My Amy. And his real breakthrough came in 1988 with the release of the album, "Dont Close Your Eyes" which eventually produced 5 #1 hits.

The Death Of Keith Whitley

Sadly, alcohol got in the way of Keiths talent. He preferd to drink alone and hid his problem well from many of his friends. On the last morning of his life, he had coffee around 8:30am with his brother-in-law and the two were planning to play golf at 9:30am. Keith was found face down in his bed at that time.

It was revealed that Keith had the equivilent of 20 ounces of whiskey in his system when he was found. Keith Whitley died on 9th May 1989 at the age of 34 from alcohol poisioning.

The first Annual Keith Whitley Tribute Concert took place in June 09 in Sandy Hook Kentucky. Keep an eye on your calendars for future events in the month of June.