May 9, 1989 was one of the saddest days in the history of country music. It was on this day that Keith Whitley passed away.
Whitley’s death stunned the country music community. His death came as his career was soaring. Whitley’s last single before he passed away, “I’m No Stranger to the Rain” landed in the No. 1 spot on the charts only one month before he died. Many artist that followed him such as Garth Brook, Tim McGraw, Joe Diffie and Chris Young have talked about how Keith had influenced them. Keith is featured in Garth's video The Dance.
Just a side note, the guitar that Keith is playing in this video was purchased by Chris Young at auction. Chris used it to write many of the songs on his album AM. Chris played the guitar in public for the first time on the Grand Ol' Opry singing a cover of Keith's Don't Close Your Eyes. You can find this performance on youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_qN1-Unnk0
