Carrie Underwood,Blake Shelton,Dolly Parton,Jason Aldean,Old Dominion,Luke Bryan,Jelly Roll,Zach Bryan,Dan + ShayandLuke Combswere among the stars who paid tribute to the “Red Solo Cup” singer Tuesday, after his family shared the news of his death on social media hours earlier.
“Saddle up the horses, Jesus, ‘cause a true blue COWBOY just made his ride up to heaven!!!” Underwood, 40,wrote on Instagram, sharing a gallery of photos of herself and Keith over the years. “Introduce him to all the Okies and sign that boy up for the choir!”
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Houser, 48,posted a video of himself singing a coverof “I Love This Bar,” Keith’s 2003 tune, calling it “One of my favorites that he and Scotty Emerick wrote.”
“I am at a loss for words,” William Michael Morgan, 30, penned in an Instagram post. “A true American. A true country artist. I know he is waking up with our Lord now. Prayers for his family.”
Meanwhile, James Otto, 50, recalled working with Keith during the American Ride tour, an experience he was “blessed” to do and said he “will never forget.”
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Other country names likeDustin Lynch,Travis Denning,Brantley Gilbert,Granger Smith,Chuck Wicks,Cole Swindell,John RichandTim McGrawreacted as they woke up to the news.
On Instagram, Parton, 78, praised Keith for being “one of the greats,” adding that his “music and legacy will live on.”
Luke Bryan, 47, and Wicks, 44, dedicated posts to the late star as well, both sharing a photo of the them with Keith on the red carpet together.
“Just arriving atAmerican Idoland seeing the sad news in our country community. An iconic artist and a great man. Your songs turn every room into a good time,” Bryan’scaption read.
Shelton, 47,posted to X(formerly Twitter) to open up about the shock he feels knowing Keith is gone.
In along message alongside a video sharing his thoughts on handling grief, Smith, 44, talked about the analogy of a tree growing toward the light but dying if it looks down. He also announced his new children’s book about “processing our thoughts on our own mortality,” which he said felt fitting for the emotions of the day.
Rich, 50,highlighted Keith’s “bigger than life” personalityin his post.
“We had a lot of good times and conversations about what we wanted out of our careers and our lives. He was a maverick. He did things his way, on his terms, a true artist. I always have and always will have tremendous respect for his artistry, dedication and fearlessness to do his thing. We all will miss you, brother.”
Outside of the country world, other tributes came in from stars likeKristin Chenoweth,Stephen Baldwin,Kristy Swanson,Pat McAfee,Donald Trump Jr. andKid Rock.
Both Chenoweth, 55, Baldwin, 57, and Swanson, 54, wrote under his family’s post, “I loved him as a musician. A great Oklahoman,' said Chenoweth. “A great American. What a loss!.”
Kid Rock, 53, simply remembered the country icon for being “a tried and true, red, white, and blue, AMERICAN BADASS.” He continued: “RIP TK, sure gonna miss ya Big Dog. Thanks for the music and all the great memories. -Kid Rock”
Keith’s family shared on social media that he had “passed peacefully” on Monday night, after he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in fall 2021.
Keith broke into the country scene in 1993 with “Should Have Been a Cowboy,” before producing several other hit songs including, “I Love This Bar,” “As Good as I Once Was” and “Beer for My Horses” ft.Willie Nelson. The country singer, who has been outspoken about his patriotism, also created the song “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” following the9/11 attacks.
He won several accolades throughout the years for his music, including album of the year and male vocalist of the year at the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM). He also won the ACM Entertainer of the Year in 2003 and 2004, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.
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The songwriter played his first official headlining show since herevealed his cancer diagnosisat Park MGM in Las Vegas in December, 2023 — which would become one of his final performances. Ina video shared to YouTubeannouncing the shows, he described them as “kind of rehab shows” which would “get the band back in sync, get me rolling again.”
source: people.com
