So Much More Than Just a Country Icon: Toby Keith’s Son Shares Rare Performance From His Dad During Intimate Family Gathering

Loving both country music and America, Toby Keith never apologized for his beliefs or his thoughts. Never afraid to speak his mind, the singer fashioned a legendary career in country music. While selling over 40 million albums, Keith produced hit songs like “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “Beer for My Horses.” Always willing to travel the world to entertain the military serving overseas, Keith sadly passed away on February 5, 2024, from stomach cancer. With Keith inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, his son, Stelen Keith Covel, paid tribute to his father on the anniversary of his death. 

Posting a video of Keith, Stelen showcased the man Keith was outside of the spotlight. Sitting in a room, Keith performed the hit song “If I Was Jesus.” Although knowing how to entertain a crowd of thousands, only a few people sat in on the performance. And in the video, Stelen can be seen scrolling through the words on his phone. He captioned the post, writing, “A whole year without my hero. Here’s to one day having more of these nights. Love you dad.”

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With the post gaining over a thousand likes, Stelen’s wife, Haley, also added her voice to the tribute when writing in the comments, “So many of these nights but this one was extra special.” 

[RELATED: Toby Keith’s Daughter Performing Her Dad’s Final Hit Was the Perfect Tribute to the Late Country Legend]

Toby Keith Was More Than A Country Singer – He Was An Amazing Father

Keith’s daughter, Krystal, also paid tribute to her late father in her own Instagram post. Sharing a collage of pictures of her father, she wrote, “It feels like yesterday we said goodbye and yet it somehow has also been the longest year without him. I can’t help but find gratitude in all the time we had because we did all of life as a family unit. It’s hard to find a candid picture where he doesn’t have one of our babies in his arms. He was their favorite, and they were his. Our littles miss their buddy big time but we all know we will see him again someday.” 

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While Keith’s family continues to navigate life without him, Krystal didn’t see it as a goodbye. “Until then, he will watch over us and walk beside us. Every sunset (and he LOOOOVED his sunsets) is a reminder that he wants us to live our best life and do good in the world. So that’s exactly is what we will do.”

(Photo by Katherine Bomboy/NBC via Getty Images)