The Sweet Way Luke Bryan Honored Toby Keith at Tribute Concert

On Wednesday, Aug. 28, a memorable concert special honoring the late Toby Keith called Toby Keith: American Icon , airs on NBC, featuring a number of big stars in country music paying tribute to him, including Luke Bryan .

In an early preview of the special, it was revealed exactly how Bryan decided to honor Keith during his performance, with the singer revealing a special connection related to his outfit.

Bryan donned a cowboy hat given to him by his late sister Kelly , who died in 2007, and he told the crowd before he started singing, as reported by Billboard , "This hat has been hanging in my closet for probably 15 years," revealing that he "used to wear this hat every night" when he would perform at bars playing “about 10 Toby Keith songs a night.”

After noting, "Ever since I lost my sister, I hadn’t put this hat [on] onstage in a lot of years," Bryan shared how he was inspired to wear it again thanks to Keith.

"I was walkin’ out the house, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m just an old country boy from Georgia, but Toby Keith certainly made me want to be a cowboy.’ I’m going to be a cowboy tonight … This is for you, Toby," Bryan declared, going on to perform Keith's hit song, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” originally released in 1993.

Fans on social media cheered Bryan on in his cowboy hat, commenting on a short clip of the show, "You look great in the cowboy hat and did a great job with that song," and "Lookin [good] in that Cowboy Hat Luke! ❤️."

Along with Bryan, the tribute concert also features country stars like Carrie Underwood , Jelly Roll , Lainey Wilson , Trace Adkins and many more. If you can't catch the show on NBC Wednesday, it will be available on Peacock for streaming the day after.

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