Country Stars React To Toby Keith’s Death
(Left) Toby Keith / Facebook / (Right) Randy Houser / Instagram
Country Stars React To News Of Toby Keith’s Death On February 5
Country music icon Toby Keith passed away on February 5 at the age of 62.
Keith was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2021. He went public with his diagnosis a few months later. After that, he took some time off from performing to spend time with his family and focus on his treatments.
In September 2023, Keith was honored with the Country Icon Award at the first People’s Choice Country Awards. The trophy served as a testament to the influence he’s had on multiple generations of country artists and fans.
Keith’s family shared the news in the early morning hours of February 6 that he died the day prior. They released a short statement on his official social media pages, which read:
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Artists quickly reacted to news of Toby Keith’s death, and shared tributes on social media. Read through some of those tributes below.
We’ll continue to update this list as more artists react to the news.
Randy Houser
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Randy Houser reacted to Toby Keith’s death by sharing a performance of Keith’s song, “I Love This Bar.”
Jay DeMarcus
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Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus called the news of Keith’s death, “a heart breaker..”
Bobby Bones
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Country radio host Bobby Bones recently interviewed Keith on his show. So the news of his death hit extra hard.
CMT
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Country music channel CMT honored Keith with this tribute.
John Rich
John Rich was heartbroken to wake up to the “terrible news” of Keith’s death.
James Otto
James Otto remembered touring with Toby on his “American Ride Tour,” and how he will “never forget” that experience.
Old Dominion
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The members of Old Dominion honored Keith as “a true trail blazer” in country music.
Carrie Underwood
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Carrie Underwood shared an emotional tribute to Keith, writing, “Saddle up the horses, Jesus, ‘cause a true blue COWBOY just made his ride up to heaven!!!”
Terri Clark
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Terri Clark shared an emotional tribute, writing, “We lost a friend but country music lost an icon and one of the greatest songwriters of all time.”
Jason Aldean
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Jason Aldean, who surprised fans by bringing Toby Keith out at a recent show of his, wrote, “Today is a sad day for Country music and its fans.”
Lee Ann Womack
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Lee Ann Womack said she was feeling “very low” after learning about Keith’s passing.
Clay Walker
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Clay Walker shared how much he will miss Toby Keith.
Brantley Gilbert
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Brantley Gilbert shared this heartfelt tribute to Keith after his death.
Darryl Worley
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“In life we have a chance to leave a mark that will not fade and he knocked it out of the park,” said Darryl Worley about Toby Keith.
Dustin Lynch
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Dustin Lynch shared a sweet video of him performing “I Should’ve Been a Cowboy” with a young fan at a concert, and thanked Keith for inspiring the next generation.
Loretta Lynn
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Loretta Lynn passed away in 2022, but her team remembered Keith in a tribute made on her official social media pages.
Mark Chesnutt
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Mark Chesnutt referred to Toby Keith as “an inspiration” in his tribute post.
The Charlie Daniels Band
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Charlie Daniels passed away in 2020. But his family took the time to honor Keith on the Charlie Daniels Band’s official social media pages.
Oliver Anthony
Oliver Anthony shared a moving tribute to Keith, writing, “Long live the cowboy from Oklahoma.”
Luke Combs
Luke Combs shared a short statement on X that sums up everyone’s feelings about the tragic news of Keith’s death.
Joe Diffie
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Joe Diffie passed away in 2020. But his team shared a tribute to Keith on his social media pages, and remembered him for the legend he was.
Granger Smith
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“I’m so grateful for the joy TK’s music brought so many of us for so many years,” Granger Smith said in his tribute to Keith.
Country Music Hall of Fame
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Kyle Young, the CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, released the above statement about Keith’s death.
Alan Jackson
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Alan Jackson shared a sweet statement on behalf of himself and his wife, Denise. He said, “Denise and I are saddened to hear about our friend @tobykeith…”
Chris Young
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Chris Young shared a clip of Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” in his tribute.
ACM Awards
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The ACM Awards paid tribute to Keith in this emotional statement.
Brooks & Dunn
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Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn each released a statement about Keith’s passing.
Chuck Wicks
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Chuck Wicks fondly remembered talking to Toby Keith about his music and his faith.
Justin Moore
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Justin Moore uploaded a clip of himself performing “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” in Keith’s honor.
The CMA
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The CMA shared their “great sadness” over Keith’s death.
Tanya Tucker
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Tanya Tucker shared a sweet tribute to Keith, writing, “Sleep well my friend! It sure won’t be the same without you!”
Dan + Shay
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Dan + Shay shared a beautiful cover of Keith’s “She Never Cried in Front of Me” to honor him.
Deana Carter
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Deana Carter penned this short and sweet tribute to Keith.
Chris Janson
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Chris Janson put it perfectly when he said, “Toby, is like losing a pillar that is not replaceable.”
Rodney Atkins
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Rodney Atkins remembered Keith’s life and legacy in this tribute.
Morgan Wallen
Morgan Wallen shared a tribute to Keith on his Instagram Story, and wrote, “RIP. A Country Music and American Legend.”
Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton was a good friend of Keith’s. He just honored him at the People’s Choice Country Awards in September. After learning about his death, he said he “never imagined this day.”
Tracy Lawrence
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Tracy Lawrence paid tribute after Keith’s death by writing, “You will truly be missed my friend. I’ll see you on the other side.”
Carly Pearce
Carly Pearce shared the above tribute to Keith on her Instagram Story.
Luke Bryan
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Luke Bryan posted an old photo of him and Keith together, and mourned the “sad news” of his death.
Josh Turner
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Josh Turner shared a powerful tribute after Keith’s death. He wrote, “Not many people know what it takes to have a 30 year career, but you have to be incredibly tough. Add cancer to that and you have to be tougher. Toby Keith was that tough.”
Ricky Skaggs
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Ricky Skaggs mourned Keith’s death in this post he shared on social media.
Lee Greenwood
Lee Greenwood admired Keith’s love for his country and how he supported the troops. He said, “I am confident that Toby was met at the pearly gates by patriots who have gone before and is resting in the arms of Jesus.”
As mentioned previously, we’ll continue updating this list as more artists react to the news of Toby Keith’s passing. Please check out the video below to revisit his extraordinary performance of “Don’t Let the Old Man In” when he was honored with the Country Icon Award in September.
Toby Keith was the founder of the Toby Keith Foundation. The foundation helps support the OK Kids Korral, which serves as a home-away-from-home for families with children undergoing cancer treatments. If you’d like to make a donation in Toby’s memory, you can visit the Toby Keith Foundation’s official website here.
