'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose

1990 single by Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan

"'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose"

Single by Keith Whitley with Lorrie Morgan

from the album Greatest Hits

B-side

"Lady's Choice"

Released

July 1990

Genre

Country

Length

3:29

Label

RCA

Songwriter(s)

Bill Rice, Sharon Vaughn

Producer(s)

Garth Fundis

Keith Whitley singles chronology

"I'm Over You"
(1990)

"'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose"
(1990)

"Brotherly Love"
(1991)

Lorrie Morgan singles chronology

"Five Minutes"
(1990)

"'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose"
(1990)

"We Both Walk"
(1991)

"'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose" is a song originally recorded by American country music artist Leon Everette. It was released in 1985 from his album Where's the Fire. His version of the song peaked at number 44 on Hot Country Songs.^[1]

The song was later covered by Keith Whitley as a duet with his wife Lorrie Morgan. Posthumously released in July 1990, it was the only single from his Greatest Hits album. This version peaked at number 13 on the country singles charts and won the Vocal Event of the Year at the Country Music Association awards.^[2]

Another version was released in 1990 by Jann Browne on her album Tell Me Why.^[3]

John Prine and Fiona Whelan Prine also covered the song for the 1999 album In Spite of Ourselves.^[4]

In 2015, a version of the song was released by singer Kevin Moon and Bluegrass artist Rhonda Vincent for Moon's Throwback CD.

Chart performance

Leon Everette

Chart (1985)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[5]	44

Keith Whitley with Lorrie Morgan

Chart (1990)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)^[6]	13
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[7]	13

References

^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
^ Whitburn, pp. 459-460
^ "Tell Me Why". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
^ "In Spite of Ourselves". YouTube. 1999.
^ "Leon Everette Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 1298." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. October 6, 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
^ "Keith Whitley Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.

Keith Whitley

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Greatest Hits
Kentucky Bluebird

Extended plays

A Hard Act to Follow

Notable singles

"Miami, My Amy"
"Ten Feet Away"
"Homecoming '63"
"Hard Livin'"
"Would These Arms Be in Your Way"
"Some Old Side Road"
"Don't Close Your Eyes"
"When You Say Nothing at All"
"I'm No Stranger to the Rain"
"I Wonder Do You Think of Me"
"It Ain't Nothin'"
"I'm Over You"
"'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose"
"Brotherly Love"
"Somebody's Doin' Me Right"

"Hopelessly Yours"
Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album
Lorrie Morgan

v t e Lorrie Morgan
Discography
Studio albums	Leave the Light On (1989) Something in Red (1991) Watch Me (1992) Merry Christmas from London (1993) War Paint (1994) Greater Need (1996) Shakin' Things Up (1997) Secret Love (1998) My Heart (1999) I Finally Found Someone (with Sammy Kershaw) (2001) Show Me How (2004) A Moment in Time (2009) Dos Divas (with Pam Tillis) (2013) Letting Go...Slow (2016)
Compilation albums	Reflections: Greatest Hits (1995) To Get to You: Greatest Hits Collection (2000)
Singles	"Trainwreck of Emotion" "Dear Me" "Out of Your Shoes" "Five Minutes" "'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose" (with Keith Whitley) "He Talks to Me" "We Both Walk" "A Picture of Me (Without You)" "Except for Monday" "Something in Red" "Watch Me" "What Part of No" "I Guess You Had to Be There" "Half Enough" "Crying Time" "My Night to Howl" "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" "Back in Your Arms Again" "Standing Tall" "By My Side" (with Jon Randall) "Good as I Was to You" "Go Away" "One of Those Nights Tonight" "Maybe Not Tonight" (with Sammy Kershaw)
Related people and acts	Sammy Kershaw George Morgan Jon Randall Pam Tillis Keith Whitley

v t e Jann Browne
Studio albums	Tell Me Why It Only Hurts When I Laugh
Notable singles	"You Ain't Down Home" "Tell Me Why" "Louisville"
Notable songs	"'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose" "The One You Slip Around With"
Related articles	Asleep at the Wheel

v t e CMA Musical Event of the Year
1988-1990	"Trio" (1988) "There's a Tear in My Beer" (1989) "'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose" (1990)
1991-2000	"Restless" (1991) "This One's Gonna Hurt You (For a Long, Long Time)" (1992) "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair" (1993) "Does He Love You" (1994) "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" (1995) "I Will Always Love You" (1996) "It's Your Love" (1997) "You Don't Seem to Miss Me" (1998) "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man" (1999) "Murder on Music Row" (2000)
2001-2010	"Too Country" (2001) "Mendocino County Line" (2002) "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" (2003) "Whiskey Lullaby" (2004) "Good News, Bad News" (2005) "When I Get Where I'm Going" (2006) "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" (2007) "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" (2008) "Start a Band" (2009) "Hillbilly Bone" (2010)
2011-2020	"Don't You Wanna Stay" (2011) "Feel Like a Rock Star" (2012) "Highway Don't Care" (2013) "We Were Us" (2014) "Raise 'Em Up" (2015) "Different for Girls" (2016) "Funny How Time Slips Away" (2017) "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" (2018) "Old Town Road" (2019) "I Hope You're Happy Now" (2020)
2021-present	"Half of My Hometown" (2021) “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” (2022) "Wait in the Truck" (2023)