Thirty-two years ago today (Sept. 9, 1989) was a bittersweet day for friends and family of the late Keith Whitley. It was on that date that Whitley’s song “I Wonder Do You Think of Me” hit No. 1, only four months after his death by alcohol poisoning.
“I Wonder Do You Think of Me” was the title track of Whitley’s third studio album, which was released in August of 1989, and his fourth No. 1 hit. Whitley recorded the tune in April of 1989, one month before his death on May 9, 1989, at the age of 34.
The lyrics of “I Wonder Do You Think of Me” proved to be unfortunately fitting as fans mourned his passing. With lines such as, “If you drive around / Back in our old hometown / I wonder, do you think of me? / When you drive by a school / Do you remember two fools? / I wonder, do you think of me?” the tune spent a total of 14 weeks on the charts while the country music community grappled with the sudden loss.
“I Wonder Do You Think of Me” was followed by Whitley’s final No. 1 single, “It Ain’t Nothin’.” It was included on several records released posthumously, including Greatest Hits in 1990, Super Hits in 1996 and 16 Biggest Hits in 2006.
This story was originally written by Gayle Thompson, and revised by Annie Zaleski.
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