{"id":212768,"date":"2019-05-04T01:01:30","date_gmt":"2019-05-04T05:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=212768"},"modified":"2019-05-04T01:01:30","modified_gmt":"2019-05-04T05:01:30","slug":"new-exhibit-shows-keith-whitleys-tragic-but-lasting-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/05\/04\/new-exhibit-shows-keith-whitleys-tragic-but-lasting-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"New exhibit shows Keith Whitley’s tragic, but lasting legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The concert will be held at the Hall of Fame on May 9 \u2013 the anniversary of Whitley’s death. (File Photo By The original uploader was Vistadeck at English Wikipedia. – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., CC BY-SA 2.5<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NASHVILLE \u2013 Keith Whitley seemed destined to become a country star with his haunting, soulful baritone honed by his roots in Kentucky bluegrass. But his life was cut tragically short when he died of alcohol poisoning in 1989 at the age of 33 when his addiction finally overcame him.<\/p>\n

Thirty years after his death, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is marking his indelible legacy with an exhibit and a concert featuring Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Tracy Lawrence and more.<\/p>\n

The exhibit, which opens Friday and runs until April 2020, is the first to focus solely on the Sandy Hook, Kentucky singer whose No. 1 country hits include \u201cWhen You Say Nothing At All,\u201d \u201cI’m No Stranger to the Rain\u201d and \u201cDon’t Close Your Eyes.\u201d The concert will be held at the Hall of Fame on May 9 \u2013 the anniversary of Whitley’s death.<\/p>\n

His widow, country singer Lorrie Morgan, brought their children and grandchildren to see the exhibit firsthand, from the fringed leather jackets he liked to wear to his favourite guitar. Morgan said that while she’s glad to see him finally get recognized, she felt sad that he wasn’t here to see the impact his music had.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a sad story,\u201d Morgan told The Associated Press. \u201cThis is not a fairytale ending.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were married in 1986, and their son Jesse Keith Whitley was born shortly after. Whitley adopted Morgan’s daughter from a previous relationship.<\/p>\n

Whitley tried to get sober and Morgan tried to help, writing in her 1997 autobiography that she would tie their legs together in bed to keep him from sneaking out of bed to drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I hope people take away is the struggles that Keith had to live his dream,\u201d Morgan said.<\/p>\n

Although he only released two solo albums prior to his death and another two albums posthumously, Whitley led the way for the new traditionalist movement in country music in the early ’90s that included Brooks, Clint Black, Randy Travis and more.<\/p>\n

His son Jesse Keith Whitley, now 31, will also be singing during the concert. He said the title of the exhibit, \u201cStill Rings True,\u201d is a perfect description of his father’s music.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople still get chills all the time listening to those records,\u201d Jesse Keith Whitley said.<\/p>\n

Whitley’s death hit the country music community hard. Brooks included Whitley in his music video for \u201cThe Dance\u201d and Vince Gill added a reference to Whitley in his now classic song, \u201cGo Rest High on That Mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brooks often cites Whitley as an influence, saying he was \u201cmy generation’s George Jones.\u201d He said the exhibit is a first step to getting Whitley forever enshrined in the Hall of Fame as a member.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is the one guy from the ’80s that’s still not … in the Country Music Hall of Fame,\u201d Brooks told the AP. \u201cWe need to correct that so we can all be proud about the Country Music Hall of Fame, because there is no Hall of Fame without Keith Whitley.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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