Biography: Keith Whitley.
Keith Whitley was well on his way to becoming a bona fide country superstar at the time of his untimely death in 1989. He made waves in the 1980s thanks to his silky baritone voice that struck a chord with listeners, and he continues to influence a whole host of generations of entertainers decades after his death. Whitley was part of the neo-traditional land movement . His versatility as a performer made him sing soft ballads and hard, honky tonk songs with ease, making him in good company with colleagues from the '80s and neo-traditionalists such as George Strait, Ricky Van Shelton and Randy Travis.
Keith Whitley
Jackie Keith Whitley was born on July 1, 1955 and grew up in Sandy Hook, Kentucky. He started singing as a child and he had learned to play guitar by the time he was eight. He sang on a radio station in Charleston, West Virginia within a year. He formed his first group, a bluegrass band, at the age of 13. A few years later he formed the Lonesome Mountain Boys with boyfriend Ricky Skaggs. They played mostly Stanley Brothers songs and they built a local fanbase over time. They didn't know they would end up with their idol.
