Early life
Whitley learned to play a guitar at a very young age, and became involved with a regional television show when he was eight years old. He and his friend, Ricky Skaggs, formed a bluegrass band, which landed both of them their first break in 1970, when they joined Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys. Whitley was singing lead for the band by 1974 at the age of 20.
In 1978, he joined J. D. Crowe and the New South as lead vocalist and guitarist. Critics were by then praising his vocals, and these reviews eventually caught the attention of RCA Records, who would sign him to a contract in 1984.
Solo years
Whitley's first solo album, ''A Hard Act to Follow,'' was released in 1984. However, the songs off of the album didn't get much airplay. Critics regarded the album as too erratic; while Whitley was working hard to achieve his own style, the songs he produced were inconsistent, and because of this, the follow up album would be more with pop sounds and a new producer as well who had been in the music buisness for sometime and had several hit records under his belt with other artists Blake Mevis.
L.A. to Miami, released in 1986. This album would give him his first Top 20 country hit single, "Miami, My Amy." The song was followed by three more hit songs, "Ten Feet Away," "Homecoming '63," and "Hard Livin." The album also had included "On The Other Hand" and "Nobody In His Right Mind Would've Left Her." Both George Strait and Randy Travis waited to see if Whitley would release these two songs as singles; when he didn't, Strait grabbed "Nobody in his Right Mind Would've Left Her", and Travis did the same with "On the Other Hand." Both Strait and Travis scored big on both songs, landing both at number one on the country charts.
During his tour to promote ''L.A. to Miami'', he met and started dating Lorrie Morgan, a fellow country singer. The pair were married in November, 1986, and they had their only son, Jesse Keith Whitley, in 1987. Keith also adopted Lorrie's daughter Morgan from her first marriage.
During the new recording sessions in 1987, Whitley started feeling that the songs he was doing were not up to the way he wanted them,nal studio album, ''I Wonder Do You Think of Me''. The album was released three months after his death, on August 1, 1989. The album produced two more #1 hits, with the title track and "It Ain't Nothin'." "I'm Over You" also saw the top ten in the spring of 1990, reaching No. 3.
In 1990, a collection of Keith's greatest hits was released. It has gone on to sell more than three million copies over the years for RCA.
On the greatest hits collection was a demo record that Whitley made in 1987, called "Tell Lorrie I Love Her," and also a new song to which Lorrie Morgan added her vocals to and created a duet called "Til A Tear Becomes A Rose". The song rose to No. 13 and won them 1991's CMA award for Best Vocal Collaboration.
RCA also released a compilation of old performance clips (from his days in the Clinch Mountain Boys and the New South), interviews, and some previously unreleased material under the title "Kentucky Bluebird", a moniker that became Whitley's nickname. The CD has become a huge collector's item among fans over the years due to it being out of print.and is currently in production.
Almost twenty years after Keith's passing fans and fellow singers still wonder what would have happened if Keith had lived, some say Garth Brooks would have taken a back seat to Keith in the 1990's , Tim McGraw and many singers today still are influenced by the man who just wanted to be remembered.
In 2007, long time fan Kindall Wann will be launching an all Keith Whitley radio station on the internet site Live365.com, the station will contain every known public release of Keith's and also the live concerts, demos, and more that fans have has among them for years.
In the summer of 2007, Austin City Limits will be releasing like in past years, several DVDs of their concerts over the years, and Keith's "FULL" concert is one that will be released. The concert filmed is an hour long, but the television version is only 30 minutes long.
Keith's music video's and many rare performances have recently been showing up on the website YouTube.com, one of the performances is from Hee Haw in 1985, Keith singing "Miami, My Amy".
A Day In The Life Of A Fool
Keith Whitley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Morning comes and I'm alone ...
It's been a year since you've been gone
But it seems like yesterday ,you said goodbye
I'm finding ways to pass the time ,so i wont lose my mind
But my every waking hour I think of you
That's just a day in the life of a fool
The one who's holding out for only you
It's just a day in the life of a fool
You would think I'd learn by now , to forget it all some how .
But my favorite memories were made with you
So every moment that I have , I live them in the past
Even though theres no way back to where we were
Thats just a day in the life of a fool
The one who's holding out for only you
Knowing all along your love for me is true
It's just a day in the life of a fool
It's just a day in the life of a fool
The lyrics to Keith Whitley's "A Day in the Life of a Fool" represent the emotional turmoil and heartache of someone who has lost their true love. The first verse sets the stage with the singer alone, thinking about their lover who left them a year ago. Despite trying to find ways to pass the time and distract themselves, the singer's thoughts always come back to their lost love. The chorus reiterates the idea that the singer is a fool for holding out hope for their lover's return, despite knowing the truth of their love for them. The second verse adds an extra layer of pain, as the singer acknowledges that their happy memories were made with their lost love, making it impossible to forget them completely. The phrase "every moment that I have, I live them in the past" captures this sense of nostalgia and longing for what once was.
The song's poignant lyrics are bolstered by Whitley's soulful vocals and the accompanying instrumentation, which includes a twangy guitar riff and a subdued drumbeat that add to the song's somber mood. Overall, "A Day in the Life of a Fool" is a moving country ballad that speaks to the universal experience of lost love and the struggle to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Morning comes and I'm alone ...
I wake up each day without you and feel lonely.
It's been a year since you've been gone
You've been gone for a year, and I still miss you.
But it seems like yesterday ,you said goodbye
The memory of you leaving is still fresh in my mind.
I'm finding ways to pass the time ,so i won't lose my mind
I try to keep myself distracted so I don't go crazy without you.
But my every waking hour I think of you
No matter how hard I try, I can't stop thinking about you.
That's just a day in the life of a fool
This is my life now, and it feels foolish to hold out for someone who's gone.
The one who's holding out for only you
I'm still waiting for you, even though you're not here.
Knowing all along your love for me is true
I'm sure that you loved me, and that's why it's so hard to let go.
You would think I'd learn by now , to forget it all some how .
It's been a year, and I still haven't been able to move on.
But my favorite memories were made with you
The best moments of my life were with you by my side.
So every moment that I have , I live them in the past
I keep reliving the past because that's where my happiest memories are.
Even though theres no way back to where we were
I know we can't go back to the way things were before you left.
Thats just a day in the life of a fool
This is my life now, and it feels foolish to hold out for someone who's gone.
The one who's holding out for only you
I'm still waiting for you, even though you're not here.
Knowing all along your love for me is true
I'm sure that you loved me, and that's why it's so hard to let go.
It's just a day in the life of a fool
This is my life now, and it feels foolish to hold out for someone who's gone.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CARL SIGMAN, LUIZ BONFA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lena Andersson
Just what I call Real Country 🎤🎸 & Keith Whitley sing fantastic 🙏 Thanks Bill 🎶
Margaret Wright
A great country song sung with lots of emotion ♪♫♪♥♪♫♪ you can almost feel the pain💔 .. your not a fool! you love her so much ♥♥♥ you can't let her go .. forget the past you gotta look for someone new 💃♪💃♪💃Lovely manly voice 😊
Jenny Sauvola
Absolutely fantastic song from Keith Whitley,his voice is incredible,love it, thanks darl.
Sandra Durham
Gosh Bill it's amazing where you find these fantastic recordings, I love it, & it's another "awe" bless him, his country voice is like nobody else's, & again the lyrics, instrumentals & the bits of the piano are brilliant. Thanks for sharing. 👍👍❤❤🎻🎹🎼🎶🎵🎄🎇🎄🎇🎄 P.S. just listened to I'm No Stranger To The Rain, but I like this 'b' side better. Goodnite Bill, enjoy the rest of your evening.
Mary Cagney
Beautiful song the feeling is mutual
Marryann Lamb
Awesome song Bill. Have a great day.
Julina Lilly
Awesome Keith Whitley song
Najponk Jazz
Another American Storyteller 🗽 Keith Whitley forever 🎙️🎸💫🥃🇺🇸
eyoung2289
Great Tune by a Legend!! Love that piano!
Michael Schlegel
Another great real genuine country music song from the amazing incredible wicker bill too bad modern country radio turns it's back on genuine country for the rock and roll or pop wanna be crap of today. Keep the REAL country coming wicker bill you rule!!!!!