Honoring the incredible legacy her iconic late father left behind after his passing, Toby Keith‘s daughter, Krystal Keith, sang one of his hit songs during the “Toby Keith: American Icon” concert, which aired yesterday, August 28. Emotional fans who saw her performance showered her with love and praise.
Fan comment about Krystal Keith’s performance, posted on August 28, 2024 | Source: Instagram/tobykeith and krystalkeith
Shining in a beautiful sparkling black dress that featured see-through, and ruffled short sleeves, and one of Toby’s striking black cowboy hats, Krystal commanded the stage.
Krystal Keith performing “Don’t Let The Old Man In” during the “Toby Keith: American Icon” concert, posted on August 28, 2024 | Source: Instagram/tobykeith and krystalkeith
Accompanied by a talented live band, the “Daddy Dance With Me” artist belted out the words to her late father’s famous song, “Don’t Let The Old Man In.”
Captivating the audience with her powerful vocals, Krystal sauntered around the stage singing every song lyric with passion.
Krystal Keith | Source: Instagram/tobykeith and krystalkeith
Video footage showing a snippet of her moving performance, which was posted on Instagram, depicted close-up shots of her face filled with emotion.
Krystal Keith | Source: Instagram/tobykeith and krystalkeith
Adding an extra layer of sentimentality to the show, a video compilation showing heartwarming pictures of Krystal and Toby played on a projector screen behind Krystal as she sang.
Krystal Keith | Source: Instagram/tobykeith and krystalkeith
“There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Toby’s daughter @KrystalKeith gave this beautiful performance of ‘Don’t Let The Old Man In’ […] You can catch it, along with performances from dozens of your favorite stars, TONIGHT at 9/8c on @NBC and streaming on @peacock,” read the caption accompanying the video post of Krystal’s performance.
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Much like the caption above describes how emotional the audience was during Krystal’s performance, online observers were equally moved upon seeing the post. “Wow this is going to make me cry,” expressed a netizen on Instagram.
Krystal Keith during the “Toby Keith: American Icon” tribute concert in Nashville, Tennessee on July 29, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Another echoed, “So beautiful, I’m crying. Such an amazing voice. ❤️[…]😍.” “Beautiful song she’s just like her dad lovely voice,” swooned an admirer.
Toby and Krystal Keith performing during the 38th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on November 9, 2004 | Source: Getty Images
Jumping on the praise bandwagon, someone else gushed, “Beautiful! You look stunning and so proud to wear your father’s hat! Toby was one [helluva] man.”
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“Take after dad please sing for him… love you…” penned another person. An additional comment noted, “I can hear our [Toby’s] voice singing this song!😢😢💔.”
Toby Keith performing during the BMI Country Awards Nashville, Tennessee on November 8, 2022 | Source: Getty Images
Foreshadowing how her performance would go, Krystal spoke about the tribute concert for her late father to a media outlet before the event. The “I Got You” singer divulged how she already knew that when she was asked to sing “Don’t Let The Old Man In,” it would be a tough performance.
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“I was thinking, ‘OK, I can make it through a party song.’ But when [producers] approached me with [‘Don’t Let The Old Man In’], I was like, ‘Well […] I already cry with that song, just listening to it. I don’t know how I’m going to sing it,'” Krystal disclosed.
Krystal Keith performing during the NCAA Division I Softball Championship in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on June 5, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
What made the song, which is about ruminating on death, extra difficult to sing was the fact that it was the same song Toby had sung during his final performance before he met his demise in February. He was 62 when he died as a result of stomach cancer.
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However, Krystal managed to overcome her reservations and revealed how she ended up being happy that producers had asked her to sing it. “I’m glad they did, though, because it turned out really special. I think that he would’ve been proud of it,” she said.
Toby and Krystal Keith performing during the 38th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on November 9, 2004 | Source: Getty Images
Despite initial reservations that Krystal and her family had about the timing of the tribute concert, she expressed how everything came together as “authentically Toby Keith.”
Some nuances that made the concert quintessentially Toby included having a bar on stage, a big American flag, and getting involvement from the military.
Tracy Keith, Krystal Keith, Shelley Covel, Haley Covel, Stelen Covel and Tricia Covel at the “Toby Keith: American Icon” tribute concert in Nashville, Tennessee on July 29, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
“It really epitomizes who he was and hits all of the things he loved in his life: his family, his foundation, his music and the military,” Krystal shared.
The two-hour special also saw the legendary likes of Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Ashley McBryde, Lainey Wilson, Eric Church, and Darius Rucker perform during the concert.
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Although Krystal described her dad as somebody who did not want a big fuss to be made about him, she stated that he would be honored to have such amazing artists pay tribute to him.
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According to reports, a portion of the concert ticket sales will go to The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
The former organization provides cost-free homes for families of critical pediatric patients and the latter is one of the best children’s hospitals in Nashville.
Toby Keith at the People’s Choice Country Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on September 28, 2023 | Source: Getty Images
Such causes bode well for Toby, who was all about helping people. “I think a majority of the good deeds he did will never even be known, because he loved doing it behind closed doors,” revealed Krystal about her father’s kind heart.
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Before paying tribute to Toby Keith at the concert, Krystal Keith shared a heartfelt dedication to him on social media on February 9, a few days after the country star died.
Krystal and Toby Keith posing for a picture, posted on February 9, 2024 | Source: Instagram/krystalkeith
The post, filled with personal reflections and a cherished photo of the two on stage together, garnered a significant outpouring of support from fans and friends alike.
Comments from fans reflected the deep impact Toby had not only on his family but also on his wider community.
Toby Keith and his granddaughter posing for a picture, posted on February 10, 2024 | Source: Instagram.com/krystalkeith/
One of Toby’s employees expressed, “I’m so heartbroken for you and your family. Working for your dad for the past 27 years has been nothing but a true honor.” A fan shared, “This broke my heart to read.”
Another added a personal story of inspiration, sharing, “When I was 8 years old I received a signed autograph and signed CD from Toby, he was a huge reason why I enlisted in the military as an adult.”
Toby Keith posing for a photo with Krystal Keith and his granddaughter, posted on February 10, 2024 | Source: Instagram.com/krystalkeith/
In another tribute, which Krystal posted while her father was still alive in September last year (2023), she opened up about Toby’s multifaceted life, “He has been my ICON since day 1 and in the last 6 months he has been honored with not one but 2 Icon Awards for the work he dedicated his life to,” she wrote.
But it was her poignant words in the second tribute that encapsulated the profound loss, “He was my hero,” Krystal stated, emphasizing the personal heroism her father embodied beyond his public persona.
Toby Keith and Krystal Keith with one of Toby’s grandchildren, posted on February 10, 2024 | Source: Instagram.com/krystalkeith/
The depth of their bond and the magnitude of her loss were palpable as she recounted the cherished moments, “I am so lucky to have had him and so grateful he got to walk me down the aisle and meet my babies.” She also shared her love for him and said nobody could be more proud of him than she is.
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Her sentimental words came after an official statement posted on Toby’s Instagram account confirmed his passing on February 5. Toby’s fans were left heartbroken by the news and took to social media to pay respects to the late artist.
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In the message, it was mentioned that Toby died “peacefully” and was “surrounded by his family.” The Instagram post also stated that “he fought his fight with grace and courage.”
Toby Keith and Tricia Lucus at the People’s Choice Country Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on September 28, 2023 | Source: Getty Images
Upon seeing the post, one fan expressed, “We love you, Toby. I’m so devastated. Your music will l[i]ve on forever, legend ❤️.” Similarly, another wrote, “My heart is broken…Thank you for sharing yourself with the world 😢❤️.”
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Another fan addressed the singer’s family: his wife, Tricia Lucus; his daughters, Krystal, and Shelley Covel Rowland; and his son, Stelen Keith Covel.
The fan commented, “Rest in peace, Toby. Sending prayers to his family. This is such sad news, but you were a blessing and fought it out until the end like the legend you are.” Someone else wrote, “God bless his family through this hard time 😢.”
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Before the “Don’t Let The Old Man In” singer died, he briefly spoke to a media outlet about his cancer. He discussed how he felt good that day he was giving the interview but also disclosed, “It’s a little bit of a roller coaster. You get good days, and you know, you’re up and down […] It’s always zero to 60 and 60 to zero.”
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Days before his passing, Toby shared two last videos on his social media page. In one, he reflected on the first song he wrote when he was 14 or 15. The other video showed Toby entertaining a vast crowd as he performed for them onstage.
