On July 29, the country music industry came together to record Toby Keith: American Icon, a tribute and benefit concert celebrating the life and legacy of music icon Toby Keith.Toby
Keith/Facebook
The night featured performances in honor of Keith, sung by a star-studded lineup including Luke Bryan, Lainey Wilson, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Jelly Roll and many more. Even his daughter Krystal made a rare appearance on stage for an emotional rendition of her father’s song “Don’t Let The Old Man In.”
Additionally, a significant portion of the ticket proceeds from the special benefit concert went to support The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral, which offers a cost-free home for families of children undergoing cancer treatment, as well as the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
During an interview with The Oklahoman, Krystal Keith revealed how the event came together.
When celebrating Toby Keith’s life, it was important to focus on his significant contributions to music and his impact on his loved ones, rather than turning the event into a sad occasion mourning his death.
“I think everyone knows that anything related to my dad is going to be a fun time and going to be a party,” Krystal said. “So, that was what this was. It was a celebration. We didn’t want it to be sad.”
Making the night even more meaningful, each artist was given the opportunity to choose which song they wanted to perform, allowing them to pay tribute to Toby Keith in a way that felt most personal to them.
“They asked each artist, ‘What song would you like to sing?’ The artists got to pick the song that meant the most to them, as long as someone else hadn’t already chosen it,” she revealed.
The full two-hour special eventually aired on NBC on Wednesday, August 28, and became available for streaming on Peacock the following day.
‘Toby Keith: American Icon’ Becomes NBC’s 2024 Most-Watched Primetime Special
According to The Music Universe, the televised concert on NBC drew 4.7 million viewers, making it the network’s most-watched primetime entertainment special of the year.
With such high numbers, the show also ranked in the top 10 across all broadcasting channels and was the number one show on August 28 among all its competitors.
