Jason Aldean paid tribute to the late Toby Keith at the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 16.
Blake Shelton set the tone for the performance by saying kind words about the late singer, who died in February at the age of 62. “Toby was a loving husband. He was a proud father,” Shelton, 47, said. “He was larger than life. He would always shoot you straight.”
Aldean, 47, then took the stage to sing Keith’s 1993 hit “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” — which served as his debut single and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at the time — during the broadcast. Aldean played the guitar for his somber rendition of the track as photos of Keith performing during his career played in the background.
The audience sang along to the chorus and some attendees were seen crying as they remembered the late musician.
Every Red Carpet Look From the 2024 ACM Awards: What the Stars Wore
“We love you Toby,” Aldean said after he was finished singing. Host Reba McEntire added, “Toby, we’ll never forget you. I kinda feel like you’re here with us tonight.”
Prior to the awards show, Aldean teased his tribute to Keith. “Honored to pay tribute to my friend, the one and only @tobykeith with a special performance of ‘Should’ve Been a Cowboy’ at the @acmawards,” he wrote in a Tuesday, May 14, Instagram Story post. “Join me as we celebrate his legacy and the mark he left on country music.”
Keith died in February after battling stomach cancer. “Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage,” a statement shared via social media at the time read. “Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Complete List of ACM Awards 2024 Nominees and Winners
In April, Lainey Wilson, Brooks & Dunn, Sammy Hagar and more performed a tribute to Keith at the 2024 CMT Music Awards. Keith’s children, Shelley Covel Rowland, Krystal Keith and Stelen Keith Covel — whom he shared with his wife of nearly 40 years, Tricia Lucus — were on hand for the medley of his hits, including “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “I Love This Bar” and “How Do You Like Me Now?”
“It means a lot. It’s our first really public appearance, public outing, and so it’s very bittersweet,” Shelley exclusively told Us Weekly on the CMT Awards red carpet at the time. “It’s going to be emotional. We’re doing our best to keep the tears in now, make it through this line of cameras.”
Toby Keith Through the Years: His Life in Photos
Krystal then reflected on the importance of the CMT Awards for their family. “This is an award show that we came to quite a bit and we’ve always come with him, so this is our first time being here without him, but he’s being honored, so we feel like he’s here,” she said. “We’re excited to hear his music, even though he’s not the one singing it. But we’re really honored that Brooks & Dunn and Sammy and Lainey have come to honor him in this way. So we’re really excited.”
Krystal went on to share the family’s reaction to learning of Toby’s impact on the world of country music in the months after his death.
“We knew that he was an incredible artist. We knew he was an incredible songwriter. We knew he had a huge fan base, but what we didn’t — I think what took us by surprise was the outpouring from the community and the industry,” she told Us. “People that we’ve known for so many years and people that we have never met, but telling us stories about the impact that he had on them, and I think that speaks volumes to who he was to not just the industry but this, I mean the entire country music family and all the people in this industry.”
