On a night filled with some of the best singers in the industry, CMT's tribute to Toby Keith stands out. However, fans are mixed on whether the tribute was befitting of Keith and his legacy.
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Lainey Wilson alongside Brooks & Dunn, Roger Clemens, Sammy Hagar, and more performed a tribute to the icon. Keith and Hagar had bonded on a 2022 episode of Rock & Roll Road Trip.
Fans took to social media to share their own thoughts. One wrote, "Great tribute to the great @tobykeith on the CMA Awards led by his good friend@rogerclemens.Hard not to tear up at the end with Roger speaking out to his wife Trish and tearing up. The Red Solo Cup was a great touch! Boomer Sooner!"
Another wrote, "One of the best tributes ever for Toby Keith too bad willie nelson couldnt be there to sing beer for my horses with them. He is 90 though so thats understandable."
However, others thought the tribute didn't hold up and that it could have been better.
Another wrote, "Ronnie Dunn should've spent less time dyeing his hair and more time actually learning some lyrics because Brooks and Dunn absolutely did a disservice to Toby Keith with Should've Been A Cowboy."
Another wrote, "Brooks and Dunn did Toby Keith dirty with that rendition of Shoulda Been a Cowboy. Already plotting who can butcher Neon Moon on a future tribute to them."
Toby Keith and CMT Awards
Keith has a previous connection with the CMTs. For one, he hosted the CMT Music Awards when it was known as the CMT Flameworthy Video Awards. He ended up winning the most awards for an artist in 2003, the same year he hosted with Pamela Anderson. In total, he performed 13 times at the awards ceremony. He also garnered over 30 nominations throughout his career for the awards.
The Country Music Hall of Fame also recently inducted the singer this year. Ronnie Dunn took the time to commemorate Keith and his legacy and contribution to the genre.
"'Should've Been a Cowboy' gave Keith a No. 1 out of the gate," Dunn said. "Among country acts, only Merle Haggard and Alan Jackson have written more of their own hits, and if Toby were here, he'd tell you that. Many people tried to portray him as one-dimensional, and he wasn't. We know, we've been on the road with him," Dunn continued. "Keith didn't write about politics so much as he wrote about communities."
"Keith was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2021 and died a few weeks ago at the age of 1962," he continued. "The man who once dreamed about living in your radio now has a permanent home in the Country Music Hall of Fame." The singer garnered multiple tributes following his death.
