The tributes to Toby Keith have been pouring in all week in the wake of the country star’s death on Monday at 62 after a two-year battle with stomach cancer. On Tuesday night — fresh off his triumphant 2024 Grammys performance of “Fast Car” with the song’s original writer, Tracy Chapman — Luke Combs performed an impromptu homage to the “Red Solo Cup” singer during a private show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
According to Taste of Country, the lottery-sponsored, hour-long “Living Lucky with Luke Combs” show featured fans shouting requests for a Keith cover, which Combs was happy to honor. “I’m glad you guys asked, because we didn’t know if we should do a Toby song. It’s good to know you love Toby’s music as much as we do,” he told the crowd.
Combs and his band then took a runner on a cover of Keith’s 1993 debut single, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” In a TikTok video of the performance, Combs — consulting his phone for the lyrics to the verses — crooned the country ballad as the crowd shouted along. At the time of its release, the track co-written by Keith and Julian Williams hit No. 1 on the Billboard hot country charts and No. 93 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The homage to Keith came after dozens of other country stars called out the singer’s influence in social media tributes, including Jelly Roll, who said, “Toby inspired millions and I was one of them,” noting that he covered “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” at “every show last year. Dolly Parton added that Keith was a huge force in the country genre, writing, “It’s always hard when we lose our brothers and sisters in country music. Toby Keith was one of the greats in every way. He will be missed but his music and legacy will live on.”
