Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album
Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album is a tribute album to American country music singer Keith Whitley. It was released in 1994 via BNA Records.
| Keith Whitley: Tribute | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by Various artists | |
| Released | September 27, 1994 |
| Genre | Country |
| Length | 48:36 |
| Label | BNA |
| Producer |
|
Content
The album includes renditions of Keith Whitley's songs by various country music artists, as well as the original tune "Little Boy Lost", co-written and sung by Daron Norwood, and four previously unreleased songs from Whitley himself: "I'm Gonna Hurt Her on the Radio", "Charlotte's in North Carolina", "The Comeback Kid", and "I Just Want You", on which his widow, Lorrie Morgan, was dubbed in as a duet partner. The final track, "A Voice Still Rings True", is an original composition as well, credited to the "All-Star Band". It features John Anderson, Steve Wariner, Sawyer Brown, Joe Diffie, and Ricky Skaggs on lead vocals, with backing vocals including Tanya Tucker, Mark Collie, T. Graham Brown, Deborah Allen, Rhonda Vincent, Dean Dillon, Turner Nichols, Earl Thomas Conley, Larry Cordle, and Ken Mellons.[1]
Alison Krauss's rendition of "When You Say Nothing at All" was released as a single from the album in 1995.
Critical reception
An uncredited review in Allmusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, praising the performances of Alan Jackson, Diamond Rio, Alison Krauss, and Joe Diffie in particular.[2] People also reviewed the album favorably, with an also uncredited review saying that "But while the artists paying their respects do their best to capture the spirit of Whitley's originals, it is the four previously unreleased cuts sung by the man himself…that ultimately prove to be the most satisfying."[3] Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly was less favorable, saying that "only Morgan and [Mark] Chesnutt match Whitley's pained intensity" and giving the album a "C+".[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't Close Your Eyes" | Bob McDill | Alan Jackson | 4:14 |
| 2. | "Ten Feet Away" | Billy Sherrill, Max D. Barnes, Troy Seals | Diamond Rio | 3:28 |
| 3. | "I'm Gonna Hurt Her on the Radio" | Mac McAnally, Tom Brasfield | Keith Whitley | 2:58 |
| 4. | "I'm Over You" | Tim Nichols, Zack Turner | Tracy Lawrence | 3:09 |
| 5. | "When You Say Nothing at All" | Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz | Alison Krauss and Union Station | 4:21 |
| 6. | "Charlotte's in North Carolina" | Dean Dillon, Blake Mevis, Kent Robbins, David Wills | Keith Whitley | 2:59 |
| 7. | "I Just Want You" | Barnes, Seals | Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan | 3:31 |
| 8. | "Little Boy Lost" | Daron Norwood, Wayne Perry | Daron Norwood | 4:44 |
| 9. | "All I Ever Loved Was You" | Dorothy Skaggs | Shenandoah and Ricky Skaggs | 3:52 |
| 10. | "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" | Sonny Curtis, Ron Hellard | Joe Diffie | 3:33 |
| 11. | "I Never Go Around Mirrors (I've Got a Heartache to Hide)" | Lefty Frizzell, Sanger D. Shafer | Mark Chesnutt | 4:22 |
| 12. | "The Comeback Kid" | Hank Cochran, Dillon | Keith Whitley | 3:33 |
| 13. | "A Voice Still Rings True" | Larry Cordle, Randy Scruggs | All-Star Band | 3:52 |
Chart performance
Albums
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 29 |
| Canadian RPM Country Albums | 19 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | CAN Country | UK | ||
| 1995 | "When You Say Nothing at All" (by Alison Krauss) | 3 | 53 | 7 | 91 |
References
- Hurst, Jack (11 August 1994). "Crowning Touch `Red Hot + Country' Album Delayed To Include Crosby, Stills And Nash". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- "Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album review". Allmusic. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- "Picks and Pans Review: Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album". People. 24 October 1994. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- Nash, Alanna (18 November 1994). "Music Review: 'Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 February 2014.