Keith Whitley & Earl Thomas Conley Were Country Music Icons – And They Recorded A Duet
On April 10, 2019, the country music community lost one of its most beloved artists when Earl Thomas Conley died.
Conley charted more than 30 singles and earned 18 #1 hits over the course of his career. He was known for creating what many called “thinking man’s country.”
His influence was immense. This was made clear after news of his passing started to spread. Country artists took to social media to express their feelings. One of the most touching posts came from Blake Shelton.
“My heart is absolutely destroyed today…” Shelton wrote alongside a photo of himself and Conley.
Almost 30 years prior, the country music community lost another one of its influential voices. Keith Whitley, the singer behind iconic songs such as “Don’t Close Your Eyes” and “When You Say Nothing At All,” passed away on May 9, 1989.
RELATED: KEITH WHITLEY & ALISON KRAUSS SING TOGETHER ON “WHEN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL”
Country fans and artists struggled to cope with Whitley’s loss. We’re sure Conley was one of the people who mourned him.
Conley and Whitley were former duet partners, and recorded a song that made them “brothers.”
Listen To “Brotherly Love,” And Watch Its Meaningful Music Video
That song was “Brotherly Love.” It was first released by Moe Bandy in 1989, followed by Billy Dean in 1990.
Whitley and Conley actually recorded their version of the song in 1987, two years before Bandy’s release.
RELATED: LORRIE MORGAN SINGS KEITH WHITLEY’S “DON’T CLOSE YOUR EYES”
However, their version did not appear on an album until 1991, after Whitley died. Still, it reached the #2 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart. The CMA also nominated the song for its Vocal Event of the Year award.
The song has Conley and Whitley taking on the roles of grown brothers. As the song progresses, the brothers reflect on their childhood and the memories they made together. They recognize that although they didn’t always get along, they also had each other’s backs.
Whitley and Conley released an equally emotional music video to accompany the song. However, the two singers do not appear in the clip themselves. Instead, it follows actors who play the two brothers in the song.
Flashbacks show the two brothers as children. In the modern day, they are celebrating at the eldest brother’s wedding. Combined with Whitley and Conley’s heartwarming performance as backing music, the video is quite the tearjerker.
Take a stroll down memory lane by watching the music video for “Brotherly Love” below. Conley and Whitley may both be gone, but their legacies will forever live on in songs like this.