Keith Whitley

Keith Whitley and Jerry Lee Lewis and music executive Joe Galante will become the 147-149th esteemed members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Whitley died at the age of 33 from alcohol poisoning.

Which one is your favorite?

Who knew?

Sept. 9, 1989, was a bittersweet day for friends and family of the late Whitley.

Whitley's rich musical legacy makes us wonder what kind of impact he would have made on country music had he lived longer ...

He identified timeless stories that made him cry, inspired others pick up a pen or guitar and guaranteed a spot in that Nashville pantheon alongside many of his childhood favorites.

Just like big hair and Spandex, country music was alive and well in the '80s, celebrating true love, simple pleasures and American pride.

Jordan Matthew Young got Blake and Kelly to turn, no surprise...but he also attracted the attention of Nick!

Love is in the air.

When you're heart's broken, there's nothing more soul-soothing than country music.

He left such an incredible legacy.

May they rest in peace ...

For Dylan Scott, the genre can all be boiled down to one particular artist.

They were asked for a song that meant something to them and dang, did they deliver.

“I didn’t record this tribute album to try to do anything but try to continue his legacy and try to live up to half of what he did as far as the music goes,” Scott says.

Even if you only know a little bit about Dustin you probably know what a huge Keith Whitley fan he is.

'Still Rings True: The Enduring Voice of Keith Whitley' opens Friday (May 3), and features a collection of memorabilia from the country star's far-too-short career.

He is perhaps more cherished by the current generation of country stars than he was when he died in 1989.

On April 8, 1989, "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" became Whitley's last No. 1 hit before his death from alcoholism.