Family Of Toby Keith Issues Heartfelt Thanks To Artists Involved in ‘American Icon’ Tribute

Last month, country music’s biggest and brightest names gathered under one roof to give Toby Keith a proper send-off. Everyone from Lainey Wilson to Trace Adkins came to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to honor the country star during the two-hour NBC special Toby Keith: American Icon. It was a fitting farewell for Keith, who died in February at age 62 after battling stomach cancer for more than two years. Recently, the “Red Solo Cup” singer’s family took to social media to express their gratitude for all involved.

“We Could Not Have Asked For a More Special Night”

In an Instagram post Friday (Sept. 13), the family of Toby Keith extended their “heartfelt gratitude” to “all of the artists and friends” who helped make American Icon happen.

“We could not have asked for a more special night of great country music and stories,” the post read. “We will forever be grateful for your time and commitment to honoring Toby.”

The caption tagged all the artists who performed tributes to Keith during the program, which aired Aug. 28 on NBC. Keith’s family also thanked the USO and “members of our Armed Forces.”

[RELATED: Watch Parker McCollum, Carrie Underwood, and the ‘Toby Keith: American Icon’ Star Lineup Sing “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)”]

The comments section saw fans praising the concert and mirroring the family’s gratitude. “Thank you for sharing him with us! I Imagine the sacrifices your family made to share Toby with the world and appreciate you for that,” one Instagram user wrote. “His music and memory will live on.”

Another fan wrote, simply, “You are missed Big Dog Daddy.”

@tobykeithofficial

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Toby’s daughter @Krystal Keith gave this beautiful performance of “Don’t Let The Old Man In” during the “Toby Keith: American Icon” concert. You can catch it, along with performances from dozens of your favorite stars, TONIGHT at 9/8c on @NBC and streaming on @Peacock #TobyKeith #KrystalKeith #DontLetTheOldManIn

♬ original sound – Toby Keith

Toby Keith’s debut single, 1993’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” went straight to the top of the charts. His career exploded from there as he sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and released 20 No. 1 hits.

Toby Keith’s Legacy Still Lives On

Toby Keith’s fans have ensured that the seven-time CMT Award winner’s chart success didn’t die with him. He recently scored his 13th top 10 smash on the Country Digital Song Sales chart with “Ships That Don’t Come In.”

Originally released by late country singer Joe Diffie in 1992, Keith teamed up with Luke Combs to cover the song on HARDY’S 2024 mixtape Hixtape: Vol. 3: Difftape. It marked the “Beer For My Horses” singer’s final studio recording before his death in February 2024.

Featured image by Ryan Vestil/Shutterstock