When You Say Nothing At All” By Keith Whitley (And Later Alison Krauss) Is A Timeless Country Love Song

“When You Say Nothing At All” is one of the greatest country love songs of all time. The evergreen quality of “When You Say Nothing at All” was made possible by not one, but two artists…Keith Whitley and Alison Krauss.

Accomplished songwriters Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz united to write “When You Say Nothing At All.” Whitley released his version first, in 1988.

RELATED: ZACH TOP STUNS WITH RENDITION OF KEITH WHITLEY’S “I’M OVER YOU”

According to the book The Stories Behind Country Music’s All-Time Greatest 100 Songs by Ace Collins, Whitley fell in love with the song the first time he heard it.

Whitley’s recording climbed to the top spot on both the U.S. and Canadian country charts. CMT later ranked his version as the 12th greatest country love song of all time.

The song’s co-writer, Don Schlitz, told author Tim Roland in an interview for his book, The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits, that Whitley did a beautiful job with the song.

“He truly sang it from the heart,” Schlitz said.

Krauss Keeps Whitley’s Legacy Alive With Her Rendition Of “When You Say Nothing At All”

Whitley passed away on May 9, 1989, less than a year after releasing “When You Say Nothing at All.” His death left a huge void in the country community, as many mourned the loss of an artist who had so much potential.

Six years after Whitley’s death, Alison Krauss and her band, Union Station, recorded their own version of “When You Say Nothing At All.”

Krauss’ recording further cemented the song’s legendary status after it reached #3 on the chart. Additionally, it was named the Single of the Year at the 1995 CMA Awards.

The Magic Of Technology Brings Keith Whitley & Alison Krauss Together For A Duet

Eventually, Mike Cromwell, the production director at WMIL-FM in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, combined Whitley and Krauss’ separate versions of “When You Say Nothing At All” into a duet. He achieved this by blending elements from both recordings to make them sound like a single cohesive piece.

Despite never being released on a commercial scale, this duet generated a lot of attention from fans. It’s no surprise why…

That first moment you hear Whitley and Krauss’ voices come together will send chills up your spine. Listen to their stunning duet in the clip below.

It’s unfortunate that Whitley wasn’t here to record “When You Say Nothing at All” as an actual duet with Krauss. But his legacy lives on through this recording.