Country legend Toby Keith was honored by friend and fellow country artist Jason Aldean for his performance of Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday night. The award brought tears to the All-Star audience.
Blake Shelton, who introduced Aldean before he took the stage, said he was “heartbroken” over Keith’s death in February at age 62 after a battle with stomach cancer.
The country music star announced his diagnosis in June 2022.
“It is both heartbreaking and an honor to stand here tonight to remember the late, great Toby Keith, who went on to become one of the biggest country music stars of all time,” Shelton said.
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Jason Aldean paid tribute to Toby Keith on Thursday night. (For BMI Erica Goldring/Getty Images)
“Tobey was a huge star in every way. He sold more than 44 million albums, had 33 number one hits, and won 14 ACM Awards, including Entertainer of the Year. In the end, Toby left a huge mark.” Beyond that, Toby was a loving husband to his beautiful wife, Trisha, and a proud father to his three children. ”
He added that everyone was “very honored and touched” to have Keith’s widow Trisha and their children in the audience.
“Toby was a great friend to me and a true larger-than-life straight shooter, always shooting straight to the end of a brave ride that ended far too soon.”
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Jason Aldean performs Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” at Thursday’s Academy of Country Music Awards. (Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Aldean, who told Fox News Digital that Keith was “an inspiration” to him, simply said, “I love you” at the end of his performance of the 1993 hit that brought an emotional crowd to its feet. , Toby,” was all he said.
“Toby, we will never forget you,” host Reba McEntire added as she returned to the stage. “And I feel like you’re with us tonight anyway.”
“I think he was someone that a lot of us looked up to” in the industry, Aldean told Fox News Digital ahead of the show.
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“For me personally, he was… always the kind of guy who just said what he thought,” he added. “He said what he thought, whether it was popular opinion or not. And it wasn’t, you know, it didn’t always work out for him. , he didn’t care. I mean, if he felt strongly about it and that’s what he believed in, he was going to speak his mind.”
“For me, on a personal level, it’s always been an exciting thing: ‘Hey, you can still be an artist and be true to yourself and not be afraid to go out and speak out. ‘And I think that was always in me.’
The best advice Keith gave Aldean was to “never apologize for being patriotic.”
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“Don’t be afraid to speak your mind and stand up for what you believe in,” he explained. “Be who you are and be unapologetic about it, regardless of whether other people agree with it or not. I think that’s very good advice.”
Toby Keith lost his battle with cancer in February. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Keith was best known for “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” The song received his 3 million plays on the radio, making it the most played country song of the 1990s.
Other top hits by the artist include “I Love This Bar,” “As Good as I Once Was,” “Beer for My Horses,” and “How Do You Like Me Now?!”
Throughout his career, Keith was nominated for seven Grammy Awards and was named Entertainer of the Year multiple times at the Academy of Country Music Awards. The country music star won a total of 14 ACM Awards, including Top Male Vocalist and Album of the Year.
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Keith released his last album, Peso in My Pocket, in 2021. The singer continued to perform after being diagnosed with cancer, taking the stage one last time in December.
Fox News’ Lauryn Overhultz and Larry Fink contributed to this report.
