There are many poignant stories in country music involving artists who passed away too young and very tragically. Some perished in plane crashes. Others had serious medical issues. Sadly, some took their own lives. Keith Whitley was one of those who left us way too soon. He died in 1989 at the age of 34 from alcohol intoxication.
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Yet in a short span, he made an indelible, distinctive, and lasting mark on the genre. Per the Country Music Hall of Fame web site, "Keith Whitley sang with soulful authority and passion and, as a consummate artist, was emotionally invested in everything he performed." He influenced a slew of superstar country artists such as Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, and Tim McGraw.
Keith Whitley's Wife, Lorrie Morgan, Wanted To Help Him Deal With His Alcohol Problem
His wife, Lorrie Morgan, sounds like an anguished spouse who desperately wanted to help her husband. But his addiction to alcohol was far beyond her ability to cure. Per Whiskey Riff, Morgan said, "I thought as much as I loved Keith, surely that would help him. I feel in my own heart I kept Keith alive a lot longer because I was there all the time. I put everything on the back burner, including my career, to help Keith."
She added, "I never, never expected anything as bad as Keith had it. I thought it would just take love and someone to help him to get through with it. He wanted it that way. But something inside of him wouldn't let him. It literally was like he had cancer and could not control."
She Was Scared That Something Awful Would Befall Him
Morgan explained, "Every time the phone would ring it was in the back of my mind that there was somebody calling to tell me he's been in a wreck or died of alcohol. It was a living hell. I was on pins and needles when he was on the road. We had six great months of nothing but pure ecstasy. It was a heavenly marriage and home."
Whitley Left Her A Gut-Wrenching Last Letter
Shortly before he died, Whitley took Morgan to the airport. She was embarking on a promotional tour in Alaska. He gave her a note he wrote by hand before she departed.
"Would you like to know what I wish for you? If I could have any wish I wanted, this is my wish: That in your life which is so precious to me, may worries, troubles and problems never linger. May they only make you that much stronger and able and wise. 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. I love you, Keith."
He Had No Idea That He Was About To Be Inducted Into The Grand Ole Opry
Being an Opry member was a cherished goal of Keith Whitley's. He had no inkling that it was about to come true before he died. Morgan wondered if that might have kept him alive.
According to Morgan, "I don't know, if he would have known, if he would have maybe stayed calm a little longer, I don't know. But I don't ever know what made Keith do what Keith did. But I just have a feeling, if he knew that was something that huge and special coming up for him, maybe it would have been something to keep him tame for a little while longer. He would have been very excited. That was his dream. It was his #1 dream to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry."
