Keith Whitley died on May 9, 1989, from acute alcohol poisoning. His blood alcohol level was 0.47, which is nearly five times the legal limit for intoxication. He was found unresponsive at his home in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and pronounced dead at the hospital. Traces of cocaine and a Valium derivative were also found in his system, but the alcohol level alone was high enough to cause his death. Whitley was 33 years old at the time of his death, and his passing was a significant shock to the country music community.
