Zach Bryan, Luke Combs & Many More Pay Tribute To Toby Keith After His Death

Aaron Ryan·
COUNTRY MUSICNEWS
·
Toby Keith
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

Man, what terrible news to wake up to.

Last night, it was announced by his family that country hitmaker Toby Keith passed away at the age of 62 after a long battle with stomach cancer:

“Toby Keith passed away peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”

And since his death, many from country music and beyond have taken to social media to pay tribute to the legend after his death.

Luke Combs

Zach Bryan

Alan Jackson

Carrie Underwood

Loretta Lynn

Charlie Daniels

Blake Shelton

Megan Moroney

Old Dominion

Jason Aldean

John Rich

Lee Ann Womack

Jelly Roll

‘

Ernest

Carly Pearce

The Oak Ridge Boys

Drayton Farley

Brantley Gilbert

Cole Swindell

Travis Denning

Sawyer Brown

Dustin Lynch

Oliver Anthony

And many from the sports world are also remembering Toby, including his home state university:

University of Oklahoma

Pat McAfee

Michael Vick

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem

Congressman Dan Crenshaw

Really shows just what an impact Toby Keith had on so many people. Rest in peace to a true legend.

Kid Rock Remembers Toby Keith

His friend Kid Rock spoke to Fox News about his commitment to America’s heroes:

“We used to joke about who went over there more, me and him have 10, if not 20 times each, spending Christmas, Thanksgiving… whenever we were called we went to do it, and sometimes we called them and went to do it.

It was the most rewarding thing we’ve ever done in our careers but it was also the most work. He probably went more than I did, what a great patriot… people forget how long these wars were. These were 10 plus years of going all the time… we used to joke ‘isn’t there some younger kids that should be going over at this point?’

Can’t say enough great things about him, he was just a great, great man and he was a lot of fun, so funny. My heart goes out to his family, and his friends here in Nashville, but especially I’m thinking of his family right now…. long live Big Dog.”

He also said he considered blowing off a gig to go see Toby Keith in Las Vegas recently, and he’ll forever regret it:

“Man, I’m gonna regret… I was just out in Las Vegas when he was playing and I had this commitment, and I told my fiancée ‘I should just blow this commitment off and go see Toby.’ I just felt that was what I should do, and I didn’t, and I’m gonna regret that. I didn’t know it was in this stage, unfortunately.”

RIP Toby.

Toby’s Final Performance

Toby Keith was an icon in many ways, but one talent Keith had that knocked other artists out of the park was his songwriting ability.

His final show was December 14th, 2023 in Las Vegas, where the Big Dog took the stage to perform a number of his country hits including the great “Should’ve Been A Cowboy.” His breakout single released in 1993, that song kicked off a career that featured 20 chart-topping singles in addition to a number of other Top 5 country songs.

“Don’t Let The Old Man In”

Toby also performed his latest single, “Don’t Let The Old Man In.” The song was originally released as a single in 2018, in conjunction with the Clint Eastwood movie The Mule, and also appeared on his 2019 compilation album Greatest Hits: The Show Dog Years.

It was then re-released this year this past year following his performance at the People’s Choice Country Awards:

During one of his final performances, Keith brought the 2023 Country Music People’s Choice Award audience to tears with a stunning acoustic performance of  “Don’t Let The Old Man In.” The song itself is heartfelt enough, but add Keith (who at the time had been very candid about his cancer battle) singing it on stage, and the lyrics hit a new profound level.

As the recipient of the Country Music Icon that night, Keith took to the stage for what would be one of his final performances, bringing the audience to tears. I cry every time I watch this video, and then when the camera pans to his wife, and she is wiping away tears, I lose it entirely.

“Many moons I have livedMy body’s weathered and wornAsk yourself how would you beIf you didn’t know the day you were born

When he rides up on his horseAnd you feel that cold bitter windLook out your window and smileDon’t let the old man in…”

“Don’t Let The Old Man In” is a song that will live on forever, just like the legacy of Keith as a performer, songwriter, and true artist.

 

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