Keith Whitley‘s music and legacy will be honored with a tribute concert. His contributions to the genre are still felt even 30 years after his untimely passing. He is known for producing massive hits such as “When You Say Nothing at All,” “Don’t Close Your Eyes” and “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.”
via Keith Whitley’s Official Facebook Page
The Keith Whitley 30th Anniversary Tribute Concert
The memorial concert is set for the 9th of May at 7 PM. It marks the 30th death anniversary of the country star. According to a press release, the event aims to honor both Whitley’s memory and pay homage to all the contributions of country and bluegrass music. Country Music Hall of Fame also praised Whitley’s music and influence on subsequent generations of country music.
Country music acts who will perform at the event are Garth Brooks, Tom Buller, Mark Chesnutt, Larry Cordle, Caleb Daugherty, Kevin Denney, Wesley Dennis, Joe Diffie, Corey Farlow, Carl Jackson, Cory and Dustin Keefe, Tracy Lawrence, Jesse Whitley, Mark Wills, Darryl Worley, and Trisha Yearwood.
Whitley’s Death and Legacy
Whitley died on the 9th of May, 1989 due to alcohol poisoning. He was 34 years old. The Kentucky native’s career was at its peak during that time. He had released three albums and scored a number of top 40 hits.
via Keith Whitley’s Official Facebook Page
Whitley married fellow country star Lorrie Morgan in 1986. And in 1989, she gave an interview explaining how she was in constant worry about his drinking, yet they still had a strong marriage together.
“We had six great months of nothing but pure ecstasy. It was a heavenly marriage and home. We were together 24 hours a day. Then all of a sudden there was somebody there at the house I didn’t know,” she says. “I am thankful for those three years, as hard as the bad times were. In those three years I’ve never in my life known love like Keith Whitley showed me. A lot of people never experience that. That was a lifetime feeling.”
Tickets for the Keith Whitley 30th Anniversary Memorial Tribute Concert will go on sale on March 29 at 10 AM CT. You can find more information here.