At the 2024 CMT Music Awards, Toby Keith will be remembered by a pair of country hitmakers, a legendary rocker and a Major League Baseball all-star.
The news comes just over two weeks after Keith was announced for the Country Music Hall of Fame, Class of 2024.
- Toby Keith died on Feb. 5, 2024 after a long battle with cancer.
- His final television performance was at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards in Nashville, where he sang “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”
- Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, Sam Hunt and Trisha Yearwood are among the other scheduled performers for the 2024 CMTs.
Related: Toby Keith’s 25 Best Songs Prove He’s Hall of Fame Worthy
Toby Keith CMT Tribute Performers
Brooks & Dunn and Lainey Wilson will lead the tribute to Keith at the 2024 CMT Music Awards. Rocker and longtime Keith friend Sammy Hagar will also take the stage. Two special guests will also participate.
Lukas Nelson (son of Willie Nelson) and former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens are set to help, although their roles are not clear. After Keith’s death, Clemens took to social media to talk about their friendship.
“There’s no one on this earth that loved his country more,” he wrote. “I will miss talking late night baseball with my dude. Rest assured Big Dog I will be singing your songs any chance I get!”
The note came with video of him singing a Keith song, something he’s had the chance to do with the hitmaker before.
Keith’s relationship with CMT was unique. He hosted this show twice, in 2012 and 2003. In 2003, the video for “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” took home the (then) CMT Flameworthy Video Awards trophy for Video of the Year.
Lifetime, Keith won seven CMT awards in 30 nominations. He also performed 13 times.
Kelsea Ballerini will host the 2024 CMT Music Awards, which air live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on April 7 at 8PM CT.
13 Toby Keith Facts You Probably Never Knew
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
Toby Keith’s Sweetest Photos With His Wife, Tricia Lucus
In 1984, Toby Keith married his love Tricia Lucus after three years of dating, and the couple remained together for the rest of his life. Over the years, they raised three children together. Keith adopted Tricia’s daughter Shelley, who was born from a previous relationship, and they welcomed a daughter named Krystal and a son named Stelen. Take a look back at the couple’s sweetest moments together through the years.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak