My 100 Favorite Charted Country Songs: I’m No Stranger to the Rain

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Another day with both sides of my lists being Hall of Famers! And, because these are in alphabetical order, this is the first of two in a row by this man. Hey, that’ll probably tell you what tomorrow’s song is, like you’re dying to know. Here’s today’s song. I’m No Stranger to the Rain - Keith Whitley Hey, love is all around if you fought the law! Yes, THAT Sonny Curtis (writer of “I Fought the Law” and the theme song to the Mary Tyler Moore Show) co-wrote this. (Linda? NO!! Just because one of Buddy Holly’s Crickets wrote it doesn’t mean it’s safe for you! ) How about them apples? And Keith Whitley…another one of those “second coming of traditional country” singers who died way too young. There are a lot of rumors about what happened, involving his wife (Lorrie Morgan) and infidelity, but the bottom line is that, in less than an hour, he downed the equivalent of twenty shots of 100-proof whiskey and died of alcohol poisoning. Was it intentional? Another subject of rumors, but going from a blood alcohol content of 0 to 0.47 in an hour is hard to do accidentally. (However, there was, and still is, plenty of moonshine around Tennessee. I smelled some that a friend got from Bashful Brother Oswald, and it took a year for my nose hairs to grow back. ) This was the final single released during Whitley’s lifetime. In this song he sang, “I’ll put this cloud behind me.” Sadly, he couldn’t. I’m No Stranger to the Rain Written by Sonny Curtis and Ron Hellard Recorded by Keith Whitley From Don’t Close Your Eyes, 1989 Peak chart position: #1 Today’s rock song: “The Longest Time” Ride the wind and dance in a hurricane: