New Keith Whitley Exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame Highlights His Lasting Legacy [PICTURES]
The late Keith Whitley's impactful musical career is being spotlighted with a special exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Still Rings True: The Enduring Voice of Keith Whitley opens Friday (May 3), and features a collection of memorabilia from the country star's far-too-short career.
The exhibit, which will be open until April 5, 2020, includes pieces of stage clothing, handwritten lyrics, show posters and the Walkman Whitley used to listen to his own demo tapes. Readers can peek inside the exhibit in the photo gallery above.
A special gathering of Whitley's friends and family, which included country star and Whitley's widow Lorrie Morgan, and their son, Jesse Keith Whitley, was held on Tuesday (April 30). Morgan became emotional as she thanked those in attendance.
"When you met Keith, you knew you had met someone who was absolutely in love with life. He was born to sing, and that's what he loved to do most. He was a lover of life who unfortunately had some bad demons that he could not control," Morgan said before taking a thoughtful pause. "But the people in this room are a sign for us that he made an impact on everybody that he ever made contact with."
Whitley is best known for his hit songs "I'm No Stranger to the Rain," "Don't Close Your Eyes," and "When You Say Nothing at All," the latter of which became a radio hit again in 1995 when Alison Krauss recorded the track for a Whitley tribute album. Keith Whitley died on May 9, 1989, from alcohol poisoning in his Goodlettsville, Tenn., home after a long battle with addiction. He was 33 years old.
On May 9, the 30th anniversary of Whitley's death, the country star will be remembered with a special concert at the CMA Theater inside the Country Music Hall of Fame. Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Darryl Worley, Joe Diffie, Mark Chesnutt, Tracy Lawrence and Mark Wills are among the artists set to perform during the sold-out show.
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