Although Toby Keith passed away earlier this year, his presence is unmistakable in NBC’s highly anticipated tribute concert, set to air tonight. “Toby Keith: American Icon” was recorded in front of a sold-out crowd at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in late July, where a host of his famous friends and admirers—Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, and Lainey Wilson among them gathered to celebrate the country music legend.
While the night was punctuated by inevitable moments of sorrow, it was largely a joyous homage to Keith, who lost his battle with stomach cancer at 62 on February 5 in his beloved Oklahoma. His legacy, captured in a vast collection of music, reflects his unique blend of traits—a boisterous entertainer, a devoted patriot, a tender family man, and a masterful lyricist—all of which were highlighted throughout the two-hour event.
PEOPLE had a front-row seat at the event, and here are the key moments that viewers won’t want to miss:
Eric Church’s Reflection
Eric Church, one of the country superstars who followed in Keith’s footsteps, took a moment to share with the audience his memories of struggling to get gigs early in his career. “Toby Keith was the one who called,” Church recalled, “and said, ‘Hey, why don’t you come play shows with me?’” Now at an age similar to when Keith made that call, Church’s performance of “I’m Not as Good as I Once Was” resonated on a deeper level.
Ashley McBryde’s Tribute
Ashley McBryde honored Keith’s illustrious career as a songwriter, placing her hand over her heart as she declared, “Being a songwriter is about being truthful, and Toby, you are truth.” She followed this with a powerful performance of “I Wish I Didn’t Know Now.”
Earlier on the red carpet, McBryde reminisced about her early days opening for Keith. “He made sure I was seen and comfortable,” she told PEOPLE. “In doing so, he taught a very green, very young artist how to treat people. Now, my experience with Toby gets to be other artists’ experiences with me.”
Lainey Wilson’s Grand Entrance
Lainey Wilson knows how to make an entrance. She appeared at the rear of the arena on the back of Cowboy, the horse she rides as a co-star on the hit TV show Yellowstone. Horse and rider made their way to the stage, where Wilson dismounted to join Jamey Johnson in a spirited duet of “Beer for My Horses.”
Luke Bryan’s Hat Story
Luke Bryan swapped his usual ball cap for a black cowboy hat as he took on “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” sharing the touching story behind it. He recounted how he used to sing Toby Keith songs in Georgia bars, and how his sister, who passed away in 2007, gave him that very cowboy hat. “I used to wear this hat every night,” Bryan said. “Since losing my sister, I haven’t worn it on stage… But tonight, I thought, you know what, I’m just an old country boy from Georgia, and Toby Keith certainly made me want to be a cowboy.”
Jelly Roll’s Emotional Performance
Toby Keith’s thoughtful lyrics in “My List” took on even more significance after his passing. Lines like “I won’t break my back for a million bucks / I can’t take to my grave / So why put off for tomorrow / What I could get done today” felt particularly poignant. Introducing the song, Jelly Roll shared how Keith had inspired him to be a better father, dedicating the performance to Keith’s family, who were seated under a giant U.S. flag, surrounded by soldiers from nearby Fort Campbell. Jelly Roll’s heartfelt delivery moved many in the audience, including Keith’s son, Stelen Covel, to tears.
Krystal Keith’s Poignant Tribute
Krystal Keith, Toby Keith’s 38-year-old daughter, delivered a moving rendition of “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” despite earlier expressing concerns about whether she could get through the song. Toby Keith had famously performed the song last fall at the People’s Choice Country Awards.
The show’s producers chose this song for her to sing, and as Krystal explained, “I had to really talk myself into it. It’s definitely a heart-wrenching song.” The song’s impact was intensified by Keith’s two-year battle with cancer; he had originally written it for the 2018 Clint Eastwood film The Mule.
Tyler Hubbard’s Party Anthem
A makeshift bar on stage kept the atmosphere lively throughout the evening, as performers gathered there after their sets. Tyler Hubbard amped up the party vibe by taking center stage with a lively rendition of “Red Solo Cup.” Despite Keith once calling it “the stupidest song I’ve ever heard,” he also admitted it was “freakin’ awesome.” The song’s writers, Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers, Brad Warren, and Brett Warren, joined Hubbard on stage, along with Jordan Davis, HARDY, and Jelly Roll.
A Final Performance
Perhaps the most surprising moment of the evening came when Jelly Roll announced that Keith had “one more great performance” left. He then introduced a video of the late artist in his final studio session, recording “Ships That Don’t Come In” for HARDY’s Hixtape Volume 3, a tribute to the late Joe Diffie. In those brief three minutes, Keith’s emotional interpretation of the song’s wistful lyrics left a lasting impact.
Saluting the Military
Toby Keith’s close friend, Trace Adkins, delivered a stirring rendition of “American Soldier,” Keith’s iconic tribute to the military. The performance was made even more poignant by the presence of a U.S. Army color guard on stage.
On the red carpet earlier, Adkins had shared that Keith’s “love for the men and women who serve this country was absolutely genuine. To be able to sing this song that meant so much to him means the world to me, too.”
The tribute concert closed with Keith’s fiery anthem “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American),” the last song he performed publicly at his final concerts in Las Vegas last December. Rising country star Parker McCollum took the lead on the finale, with the entire cast joining in on the second verse. McCollum, who grew up as a huge fan of Keith, reflected on how Keith’s perseverance inspired him: “I’ve thought about how many times he probably had days when he wanted to give up. But that man embodies what it takes to make country music in this town.”
Toby Keith: American Icon, a two-hour special, airs at 9 p.m. ET/8 CT Wednesday on NBC and will be available for streaming on Peacock starting Thursday. A portion of the concert ticket sales will be donated to The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral, a cost-free home in Oklahoma City for families of children dealing with critical illnesses, and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
