Lorrie Morgan has posted a video on her socials of her performing an emotional rendition of her late husband Keith Whitley’s 1988 chart-topping country hit “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” In the clip, Morgan is seated on a bench in front of a fireplace as she sings the melancholy love ballad while accompanying herself on acoustic guitar.
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“‘Don’t Close Your Eyes’ is one of my favorite Keith Whitley songs to sing,” Morgan wrote in a message alongside the video. “What is your favorite?”
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“Don’t Close Your Eyes,” which was written by Bob McDill, was the title track of Whitley’s 1988 sophomore album. It was the first of five Whitley singles that reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
In 1989, the track received Academy of Country Music Awards nominations for Song of the Year and Single Record of the Year.
Fans React to Morgan’s Whitley Tribute
Morgan’s performance inspired a slew of fans to comment on her Instagram.
“Lorrie still misses the love of her life, Keith,” one fan wrote. “I understand that love and loss.”
A second commented, “There is no better song! And [Whitley’s 1989 hit ‘I’m No Stranger to the Rain’] right behind it. There will never be anyone hold a candle to Keith’s voice. Nobody.”
A third fan wrote, “Soo pure & raw. Just beautiful!”
Morgan at the 2023 Grand Ole Opry Tribute to Whitley
In October 2023, Morgan took part in a concert paying tribute to Whitley at the Grand Ole Opry. During the show, she sang “When You Say Nothing at All,” another country chart-topper for Whitley from the Don’t Close Your Eyes album. At the same show, Morgan’s son with Whitley, Jesse Keith Whitley, sang “Don’t Close Your Eyes.”
Morgan was married to Whitley from 1986 until his death in 1989. The singer, who struggled with alcoholism for many years, was just 34 years old.
Morgan’s 2024 Concert Plans
Morgan has more than a dozen concerts on her current 2024 tour schedule, which is mapped out from a show tonight, February 17, in Greenville, Texas, through a June 27 appearance at the Country Fest 2024 in Cadott, Wisconsin.
Tickets for Morgan’s concerts are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
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