The Toby Keith tributes have not slowed down, and by God, it’s heartwarming to hear all of the kind words and funny stories everyone has about the legend.
Tim McGraw quickly took to social media to share his loss of words after hearing the news that Toby Keith peacefully passed after a lengthy battle with stomach cancer.
“Our self titled debuts came out on the same day, April 20, 1993… Toby and I spent quite a bit of time together early in our careers.
We had a lot of good times and conversations about what we wanted out of our careers and our lives. He was a maverick. He did things his way, on his terms, a true artist. I always have and always will have tremendous respect for his artistry, dedication and fearlessness to do his thing.
We all will miss you, brother.”
Like many others taking the words they said on social media, he revisited them while on stage. McGraw tipped his hat to his friend and colleague, saying a few words about Keith during a show in Hollywood, Florida.
“Toby and I got to know each other pretty well, early in our careers. We spent a lot of time hanging out on the bus…played some shows together. Had to guard him in basketball…wasn’t a lot of fun because he’d beat the sh*t out of you.
But he was a really, really good guy- a great artist. And I always respected how he did things his way and didn’t care what anybody thought.”
He then asks the crowd to bear with him as he gets a little choked up, dedicating the next song to Keith and the legacy he left on the industry.
“If I don’t get through it, you guys help me out.”
And you could see him clearly getting emotional, especially during the line about losing his dad:
The crowd was ready to jump in and sing with their heart the lyrics of McGraw’s track “Live Like You Were Dying.”
One legend honoring another. Toby Keith embodied living life the the fullest and never beating to anyone’s drum but your own.
His legacy will never be forgotten.
