Chris Young Covers Keith Whitley at Fan Club Party [Watch]
Chris Young sounds unlike any other country singer of his generation, but he does have a strong Keith Whitley influence. He channeled the late singer during a special performance for his fan club, performing Whitley's hit, "When You Say Nothing at All."
The deep-voiced singer singer held his annual fan club party at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville during the 2016 CMA Music Fest last week, and he performed an intimate set for some of his biggest supporters, casually seated on a stool, playing an acoustic guitar and accompanied by two other musicians. That's all he needed to put across one of Whitley's signature hits, which became a smash hit in 1988, when Young was 3 years old.
Whitley passed away within the year from alcohol poisoning, and Alison Krauss revived the song in 1995, scoring a No. 1 hit and winning Single of the Year honors at the CMA Awards. Young returns it to Whitley's vibe for his performance, which you can check out in the video above.
Young performed a selection of his own hits, including "Aw Naw," "Getting' You Home (The Black Dress Song)" and "Drinkin' Me Lonely," according to Rolling Stone Country. He also gave his fans an improbable cover of ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" before wrapping up the event. Fan club parties are part of the CMA Music Fest every year, with fans coming from all over the country to interact with their country favorites up close and personal.
The singer has plenty to celebrate this year. His latest album, I'm Comin' Over, hit No. 1, and so did its title song and another single from the record, a duet with Cassadee Pope titled "Think of You."
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