Toby Keith’s family posted a statement on Friday (September 13) to thank the artists and others who honored the late country legend in a recent tribute show at Bridgestone Arena in Downtown Nashville, Tennessee.
“We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of the artists & friends who celebrated Toby on the recent NBC & Peacock special, Toby Keith: American Icon,” reads the statement shared to Keith’s social media pages on Friday. “We could not have asked for a more special night of great country music and stories. We will forever be grateful for your time and commitment to honoring Toby.”
In the comments on Instagram, Keith’s family tagged Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, HARDY, Brantley Gilbert, Darius Rucker, Ashley McBryde, Riley Green, Ella Langley, Lainey Wilson, Jamey Johnson, Luke Bryan, Krystal Keith, Jelly Roll, Jordan Davis, Clay Walker, Mac McAnally, Scotty Emerick, Tyler Hubbard, Trace Adkins, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Brett Favre, Leanne Morgan, The Warren Brothers, The U.S. Army Band, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Stephen Colbert, Sammy Hagar, Carrot Top, Matthew McConaughey, Shelley Covel, General James L. Jones, The Beaver Brothers, the USO and members of our Armed Forces.
Toby Keith: American Icon included covers of some of Keith’s most beloved hits throughout the course of his career, in addition to heartfelt tributes and stories about the late legend. The arena crowd also watched footage of Keith’s final vocal recording. He delivered his rendition of “Ships That Don’t Come In” with Luke Combs. The collaboration appears on HARDY’s DIFFTAPE album as a tribute to late country star Joe Diffie. Toby Keith: American Icon upported The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt with a portion of the proceeds, per a previously-issued press release. It aired on August 28.
In February, Keith “passed peacefully…surrounded by his family,” following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62. He is survived by his wife, Tricia Lucus, and three children, Shelley Covel Rowland, Krystal Keith and Stelen Keith Covel.