Brooks & Dunn’s Tribute To Toby Keith Gets Mixed Reviews
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Brooks & Dunn were part of an emotional tribute to Toby Keith at the 2024 CMT Music Awards
The 2024 CMT Music Awards celebrated the brightest stars in country music and highlighted the best videos from the past year, as voted by fans. The event was the first large country music ceremony since Toby Keith’s passing, and it would not have been complete without a tribute to the icon.
Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson, and Sammy Hagar each performed classic Toby Keith songs while TV screens behind them displayed clips from his many famous music videos. The artists were all accompanied by Toby’s long-time band, adding an extra special element to the evening.
Toby’s longtime band will join @laineywilson, @brooksanddunn, and @sammyhagar on stage to perform a tribute to Toby at the @CMT Awards. Tune in Sunday at 8/7c on @cbs. pic.twitter.com/KMeDeWdwQB
— Toby Keith (@tobykeith) April 6, 2024
Sammy Hagar sang “I Love this Bar,” and Lainey Wilson gave her take on “How Do You Like Me Now?!” Country duo Brooks & Dunn performed what is arguably Toby Keith’s biggest hit but appeared to have some challenges throughout the song.
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Brooks & Dunn get mixed reviews following their Toby Keith tribute appearance
Ronnie Dunn (70) and Kix Brooks (68) kicked off the tribute with “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” Toby Keith’s breakout single, and one of the most iconic songs in country music.
Throughout the performance, they struggled to stay in tune and in tempo with the band. At times, it appeared that they could not remember the correct lyrics to the song.
Fans quickly shared their thoughts online, some going as far as to say they “butchered” the performance.
I like @BrooksAndDunn…but this “tribute” to Toby Keith is awful…at least get the words correct. #CMTAwards
— Blake™ (@bmk711) April 8, 2024
Brooks & Dunn butchering Toby Keith #yikes
— Layton Pace (@wheelinMcFly) April 8, 2024
Others wondered if there were unseen factors that could have contributed to the unsatisfactory performance on stage. Brooks & Dunn were close friends of Toby, and the emotion of the moment could have also affected their delivery.
I don’t want to talk bad about Brooks & Dunn but…were they having trouble keeping up with the teleprompter or something on that one? #CMTAwards
— Aaron (@_AaronRyan) April 8, 2024
Audience members were emotional during the tribute
Despite the challenges, the collective tribute to Toby Keith was powerful and honored his legacy in country music. All three of Toby’s children were in the audience at the CMT Music Awards and could be seen wiping away tears as they sang along to their father’s classic songs.
See for yourself – Watch Brooks & Dunn perform “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” at the 2024 CMT Music Awards in the video below!
