One month after his death, Toby Keith was announced as part of the class of 2024 in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The “American Soldier” singer was announced as the “Modern Era” inductee into the prestigious Country Music Hall of Fame alongside John Anderson as the Veterans Era and guitarist James Burton as the Recording and/or Touring Musician inductee.
To accept the honor on Keith’s behalf was his only son, Stelen Covel.
“On behalf of my whole family, we want to thank the Hall of Fame. It’s an honor to stand here and represent my father,” Stelen told the crowd. “He’s an amazing man, husband, father, and artist. And I just want to thank everybody for being here, thank you.”
Some might think that his passing may have pushed his name to the top of the Hall of Fame ballots, but according to his daughter, singer Krystal Keith, that is not how it went.
She told The Oklahoman on Sunday (Oct 20), “It makes a huge difference to us that the voting concluded, and it was already set before he passed away. That makes a huge difference to our family and the way that we look at it.”
Toby Keith was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on October 20.
Blake Shelton, Eric Church, and Post Malone performed in honor of Toby Keith. Shelton performed “I Love This Bar” on a guitar similar to Keith’s iconic American flag guitar, Church performed “Don’t Let The Old Man In,” and Post Malone sang “I’m Just Talkin’ ‘Bout Tonight.”
Keith’s wife, Tricia Covel, and their two of their three children, Krystal and Stelen, as well as Stelen’s wife, Haley, were in attendance.
“I’m really excited. We’ve always had a great relationship with the Hall of Fame, and he’s had exhibits … there in the past,” Krystal Keith said. “It’s really bittersweet. It’s one of those things that I wish he was here to accept and to be aware of.”
Krystal shared the unforgettable experience with her eldest daughter, Kirby. She shared a photo of herself and Kirby standing in front of her late father’s exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
“He made it. My dad fought every obstacle that landed in front of him by leaning on God and faithfully steering his own ship through the industry politics and nay-sayers. He climbed his mountain and now he rests at the top of all the peaks he ever really dreamed of. Collecting crowns that they said he would never wear,” she wrote.
Keith is now a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
