On the morning of September 11, 2001, all of America seemed to stop when terrorists flew two commercial airliners into the World Trade Center. Throughout the world, news outlets broadcast the tragedy that would take the lives of nearly 3,000 people and injure over 25,000 more. And since that moment, America has continued to keep the memory of those souls alive. Honoring the victims, country singer Jason Aldean recently paid tribute to those men and women with a memorial featuring Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American).”
Marking the 24th anniversary of 9/11, Aldean traveled to Detroit, Michigan, on his Full Throttle Tour. But before hitting the stage, the singer displayed a memorial to the victims with the words “Never Forget.” With fans taking a moment to remember that tragic moment in America’s history, Aldean decided to also pay tribute to Keith.
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Toby Keith Talks Turning Anger Into Music
Back in 2001, Keith not only watched the attack on America but also lost his father that same year. A time of pain, loss, and confusion, the country singer decided to channel those feelings into a new song. And in 2002, he released the album Unleashed.
And keeping with that theme, Keith made his thoughts on America and those who attacked the country clear with lyrics including, “Justice will be served and the battle will rage/This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage/And you’ll be sorry that you messed with/The U.S. of A./’Cause we’ll put a boot in your ass/It’s the American way.”
Having supported the military throughout his entire career in country music, the song became not just a hit, but an anthem of the American people. Speaking about his inspiration behind the song with CBS News, Keith discussed the anger he felt at the time. “It wasn’t written for everybody. And when you write something from your heart – I had a dad that was a veteran, taught me how precious our freedom is – I was so angry when we were attacked here on American soil that it leaked out of me.”
From Keith’s pain in 2001 to Aldean’s stage in 2025, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” remains a timeless reminder – America will always rise, always fight, and always remember those we lost on September 11th.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/ACMA2014/Getty Images for ACM)