Blake Shelton Recognizes Toby Keith’s Death In Emotional Tribute Post
Blake Shelton is mourning Toby Keith’s death along with the rest of the country music community.
Keith passed away on Monday, February 5. His family shared the news in a statement made to his official social media pages.
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5, surrounded by his family,” the statement read. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Blake Honored Toby On The Night Of His Last Televised Performance
Keith’s last televised performance was during the People’s Choice Country Awards in September 2023. He was honored with the show’s Country Icon Award.
During the ceremony, Keith took to the stage to deliver a powerful performance of “Don’t Let the Old Man In.” He released the song in 2018 in connection with the Clint Eastwood film, The Mule.
Before that performance, Shelton honored Keith by singing his rowdy hit, “Who’s Your Daddy?” He also presented the Country Icon Award to Keith, who’s been a friend of his for years.
Blake Shelton Shares How Toby Keith’s Death Impacted Him
Keith was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2021. As one of his good friends, Shelton was well-aware of Keith’s battle and the challenges he faced.
Still, it came as a major shock to Shelton when he learned that Keith passed away. He expressed his grief in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“Even though I knew about your battle these last few months I still never imagined this day. Anyone who knew you knows what I mean. You were the toughest man I ever met. Thank you brother for being a friend, a hero and an inspiration. There will never be another Toby Keith.”
Even though I knew about your battle these last few months I still never imagined this day. Anyone who knew you knows what I mean. You were the toughest man I ever met. Thank you brother for being a friend, a hero and an inspiration. There will never be another Toby Keith.
— Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) February 6, 2024
Like Shelton, we too are in disbelief that Keith is no longer with us.
Take a moment to remember Keith by watching the performance below. It’s a fan-filmed video of his “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” duet with Shelton at the 2018 ACM Awards. They made a great team…
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.