Out of all the “what if” stories in country music, Keith Whitley and his tragically short career have to be one of them. After getting his start in bluegrass with the Stanley Brothers and Ricky Skaggs in the 70s, he would move to Nashville in 1983. Shortly after, he’d release two albums, L.A. to Miami and Don’t Close Your Eyes, and score five #1 hits, including the likes of “Don’t Close Your Eyes” and “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.” Just when he was on the brink of superstar status, however, tragedy struck, and Whitley passed away at the age of 34 in May of 1989. Of course, this was due to his well-documented struggle with alcohol addiction. Undoubtedly, his tragic death sent shockwaves throughout the entire genre. He had an enormous impact on country music with his neo-traditional sound in the same style as newcomers (at the time) like Strait and Randy Travis. And his sound has continued to influence generations of country artists since his passing, with many of today’s biggest stars citing Whitley as one of their biggest inspirations. Despite his relatively short career, he’s remained one of the most celebrated artists in the genre, and he’s going to be receiving his very own documentary soon. Back in December 2024, it was announced that Blake Shelton was teaming up with Lucky Horseshoe Entertainment and Anomaly Content & Entertainment (ACE) to produce a documentary on the life and influence of Whitley. Shelton shared the announcement on Instagram, saying he’s “honored” to help bring the film to life, with archival footage from the Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as Whitley’s wife, Lorrie Morgan: “Keith Whitley released only three albums during his life, but his music has influenced generations of country music artists. I’m proud and honored we get to bring his incredible story to film. The documentary will feature extensive archival footage from the Country Music Hall of Fame and personal collections from Lorrie Morgan, providing a rich tapestry of Whitley’s life and career. It will also explore the small town of Sandy Hook, Kentucky, where Keith grew up, and include reflections from Lorrie as she navigates her own career while honoring his memory.” View this post on Instagram At the time, Shelton and Morgan were confirmed to produce the documentary with Zach Heinzerling, an Academy Award-nominated director renowned for his work on acclaimed projects like “Cutie and the Boxer” and “McCartney 3,2,1,” set to direct the film. With that being said, however, over the past year, there have been little to no updates regarding the film. That all changed last night. After performing Jason Aldean’s “When She Says Baby” during the Georgia native’s 31 #1 hits celebration at Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2026, Shelton was asked about the documentary for the first time in over a year. Thankfully, he would confirm that it is still in the works and note how it’s the “most exciting” thing he’s gotten to be a part of in quite some time. “We’re still working on this Keith Whitley documentary, and that’s been the most exciting thing that I’ve gotten to be a part of in a while. I’ve got to do some cool things.” The “Austin” singer would also dive into how eye-opening the whole process of making the documentary has been. Highlighting the well-documented struggles that both Whitley went through during his life and Morgan went through after his tragic death, Shelton would note that the documentary aims to bring a whole new light to their lives. “When you start learning what his life was like and what a struggle it was and the demons that he had and what it was like for Lorrie to navigate that… she had to deal with a lot of rumors and things like that. And even years later, she’s had to deal with that. When you start seeing it from the inside, it just brings a whole new light to it.” As of now, there are still no further updates about a potential release date/timeframe. With that being said, however, it’s incredibly encouraging to hear that the documentary is still in the works. Given the immense amount of influence Whitley has had on multiple generations of country artists over the years, it’s long overdue. Before you go, listen to Whitley’s first #1 hit, “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” The post Blake Shelton Confirms Keith Whitley Documentary Is Still In The Works: “The Most Exciting Thing I’ve Gotten To Be A Part Of In A While” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.