Toby Keith’s Family Cries During Jason Aldean’s Emotional 2024 ACM Awards Tribute
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The 2024 ACM Were Memorable For Many Reasons
On May 16, 2024, country music’s biggest stars came together in Frisco, Texas, for the 59th Annual ACM Awards. Hosted by Reba McEntire, the show featured performances from Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, and so many more.
McEntire performed her brand-new song “I Can’t,” while Jelly Roll debuted a new track, “Liar.”
Two days before the show, the ACMs announced that Jason Aldean’s performance at the show would be a tribute to the late Toby Keith.
Seeing as Toby Keith passed away just a couple months before this show, it made total sense that Keith was honored in such a big way.
“Honored to pay tribute to my friend, the one and only Toby Keith with a special performance of ‘Should’ve Been A Cowboy’ at the #ACMawards. Join me as we celebrate his legacy and the mark he left on country music,” Aldean posted on his social media pages.
Jason and Toby were close, especially in the last few months of the “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” singer’s life.
In October 2023, just four months before Toby passed away, Jason brought his good buddy on stage at a concert in Oklahoma City. He told the crowd, “There’s only one guy you think of when you come to Oklahoma City. So make some noise for….Toby Keith!”
They performed “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” and Toby sounded great. It’s hard to believe he passed away less than four months later.
After Toby’s family announced his passing, Jason took social media and posted two photos from that October night. He wrote, “Just waking up to the news of Toby Keith’s passing. Today is a sad day for Country music and its fans. Toby was a huge presence in our business and someone we all looked up to and respected. You and your music will be forever remembered big man.”
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It made perfect sense that Jason performed “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” at the ACM Awards as a tribute to Toby, whose real last name is Covel, since that was the last song they sang together.
Toby’s family – his wife Tricia, daughter Shelley, daughter Krystal, and son Stelen – were in attendance and could be seen wiping tears away during and after the tribute. Aldean slowed down the song way down and was accompanied by a string quartet, making it so much more emotional. Photos of Keith throughout his career were shown on the screens behind Aldean.
Shelley, Krystal, and Stelen made their first joint public appearance following their dad’s death at the CMT Music Awards a month prior, but the ACM Awards was the first time their mom has joined them publicly.
RELATED: Toby Keith’s Kids Open Up About Their Dad On CMT Awards Red Carpet
Following the ACM Awards, the family put out a statement on Toby’s social media channels that read, “The Covel family would like to thank Jason Aldean for the wonderfully touching performance at the ACM Awards tonight. It was the perfect tribute to Toby Keith.”
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Watch Jason’s moving tribute below.
