Trigger warning: This article mentions death.
Luke Bryan paid special tribute to late country music icon Toby Keith during a two-hour NBC special, Toby Keith: American Icon, which came six months after the country legend’s passing. The ACM Award winner performed his chart-topping debut hit Should’ve Been a Cowboy in memory of the late musician.
Before the performance, Georgia native Luke Byron prepared some words in memory of Toby Keith and his influence in country music. The 48-year-old country singer wore a special cowboy hat gifted to him by his late sister for the occasion and shared the story behind it.
The One Margarita musician talked about his Georgia days when he would play “about 10 Toby Keith songs” in a row at the bar before his big break. According to Billboard, he recalled that Bryan would wear his favorite hat every night until he lost his sister in 2007. “This hat has been hanging in my closet for probably 15 years,” the songwriter revealed.
Bryan hasn’t worn the hat he wore in tribute to Toby Keith in several years, but today he decided to wear it to honor his love for the red Solo Cup musician, who will be posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024.
According to Billboard, Bryan said before his performance, “I was walking home and I said, ‘You know what? I’m an old country boy from Georgia, but Toby Keith definitely inspired me to be a cowboy.’ I’m going to be a cowboy tonight… this one’s for you, Toby.”
Bryan joined several other country musicians, such as Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Darius Rucker, Lanny Wilson and more, to perform the late musician’s greatest hits to honor him and his long career in country music.
Toby Keith was a remarkable presence in the music genre, having released 19 studio albums and a massive number of chart hits – 20 number-one hits, to be exact.
His debut single, Should’ve Been a Cowboy, dominated the country music charts in 1993 and became the most-played country song of the decade, receiving more than 3 million radio presentations, according to the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s official site.
Unfortunately, the country music icon, who had been battling gastric cancer for the past two years, passed away in February this year. He was 62. His official website made the official announcement of his passing. A part of the announcement read, “He fought his battle with grace and courage. Please respect his family’s privacy at this time.”
A few months before his death, Keith performed three shows in Las Vegas and the People’s Choice Country Awards, which sold out tickets. He had to undergo chemotherapy, radiation and surgery multiple times to treat the disease. The former music producer first revealed his cancer diagnosis in June 2022, reports Today.
Toby Keith: American Icon was held in late July at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and was filmed as a two-hour NBC special that aired on Wednesday, August 28 at 9 pm ET.
Also read: Carrie Underwood honors the late Toby Keith with a special tribute to ‘this incredible man’
