The life and music of Keith Whitley will be celebrated during a one-night-only special event at the Grand Ole Opry. Set for October 14, I Wonder Do You Think of Me: The Opry Remembers Keith Whitley will feature performances from Garth Brooks, Whitley’s widow and fellow country music artist Lorrie Morgan, and their son Jesse Keith Whitley.
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Ashley McBryde and Terri Clark are also set to take the stage for the special event, honoring the contributions of the late Country Music Hall of Fame member. Known for hits like “Don’t Close Your Eyes” and “When You Say Nothing at All,” Whitley emerged as one of country music’s brightest new stars during the late 1980s.
[RELATED: 3 Songs You Didn’t Know Keith Whitley Wrote for Other Artists]
On May 9, 1989, the talented Kentucky native died from alcohol poisoning at 34. Whitley’s death came just three weeks before he was scheduled to be invited to become an official Grand Ole Opry member.
“Keith Whitley made an indelible mark on country music and our Opry family,” Opry Vice President and Executive Producer Dan Rogers shares in a statement. “Week after week, those who knew him still talk about him in our backstage hallways, and many of those who have come along in the 34 years since his passing cite him as a key influence on their own musical styles. It’s going to be a great night of music as we bring several of those artists together to recall one of the greatest voices to have taken the Opry stage.”
Fans have two chances to attend I Wonder Do You Think of Me, with shows scheduled for both 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Tickets for both shows are on sale now and available to purchase via Opry.com or by calling (615) 871-OPRY.
A portion of the show will be recorded for inclusion on a special episode of Opry Live, which will air later this year on Circle Network. The celebration will also be broadcast live on WSM Radio and available to stream on SiriusXM station Willie’s Roadhouse.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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