Country music artists ranging from Luke Bryan to Lainey Wilson honored Toby Keith in a two-hour NBC tribute that is currently available for streaming on Peacock.

The special, titled “Toby Keith: American Icon,” which was filmed in Nashville in July, celebrated the musician who passed away on February 5 after battling stomach cancer for almost 20 months.

Performers included Carrie Underwood, who sang “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action,” Eric Church with “As Good as I Once Was,” and a collaboration between Brantley Gilbert and HARDY on “How Do You Like Me Now?!” Other artists featured were Riley Green and Ella Langley performing “Who’s Your Daddy?” and Ashley McBryde delivering “Wish I Didn’t Know Now.”

In a rare sight, Luke Bryan donned a black cowboy hat while performing “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” Lainey Wilson made a dramatic entrance on her horse, Cowboy, joining Jamey Johnson for “Beer for My Horses.” Other contributors included Darius Rucker with “God Love Her”, Jordan Davis and Clay Walker performing “I Love This Bar,” and Tyler Hubbard who teamed up with Jelly Roll, HARDY, Jordan Davis, songwriters Jim and Brett Beavers, and the Warren Brothers for “Red Solo Cup.”

Remembering Keith’s Lasting Impact

The atmosphere of the evening emphasized that Keith was more than just a 20-time chart-topping country artist; he was also an entertainer, a patriotic figure, and a staunch advocate for the U.S. military.

This was especially poignant given a pivotal moment in Keith’s career about a decade ago when he fully embraced his vision as a creator and entrepreneur, resulting in significant success.

This year would have marked Keith’s entry into the fourth decade of his mainstream country music journey. Two decades prior, he capitalized on his influence within American pop culture.

The country music scene, with Nashville at its core and the nation as a whole, still feels the effects of his legacy.

How to View the Toby Keith Special

The special first aired on NBC on August 28 and is now available for streaming on Peacock.

The Artist as a Brand

From June 2002 to December 2004, Keith sold more than 20 million albums and singles. His success was propelled by the 2002 anthem “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American).” Notably, the song’s B-side, “Who’s Your Daddy,” also topped the charts.

“Who’s Your Daddy,” which combined honky-tonk, zydeco funk, rockabilly, and R&B, revitalized Keith’s successful 1990s country music catalog.

Along with the Western-themed “Beer for My Horses” and the patriotic ballad “American Soldier,” Keith’s music became synonymous with not just country success but also the cherished aspects of late 20th-century American exceptionalism.

This triumph positioned him as a commercial force in American music during the early 2000s, rivaling stars like Bon Jovi and Madonna.

By 2010, Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill, based on his 2003 hit song “I Love This Bar,” was franchised to several venues across airports, casinos, and shopping centers nationwide.

The restaurant exceeded its revenue expectations in its opening month and soon became one of America’s top-grossing establishments. According to Forbes, Keith initially generated around $12 million annually from his restaurants through licensing agreements and a share of profits.

At the grand opening of a 20,000-square-foot entertainment venue with a massive guitar-themed bar in Phoenix in 2009, an attendee remarked how Keith “melted her butter,” stating, “He’s not phony or pretentious.”

Nashville’s Lower Broadway Reflects Keith’s Legacy

After facing financial challenges between

As of 2020, only two locations of I Love This Bar and Grill are still running in Oklahoma.

By 2013, Forbes noted that Keith had consistently made at least $48 million annually, and his total wealth had exceeded $500 million.

Keith has built a straightforward brand that reflects significant wealth, drawing a parallel to what you might see on Nashville’s Lower Broadway.

By 2025, bars along Lower Broadway will feature the names of 17 famous country music artists including Hank Williams Jr., Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, and Lainey Wilson.

In 2023, around 15 million visitors, many drawn by iconic honky-tonks like the ones mentioned, contributed over $300 million to Davidson County’s economy.

To enhance this revenue, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. released June’s Music City Strategic Plan, which aims to replicate Keith’s successful approach in elevating the city as a tourism hub, a strategy already adopted by numerous star-themed bars.

Reflecting on Nashville’s potential for growth in light of Keith’s influence, his longtime producer James Stroud remarked, “Toby is his own man. He knows what he wants to say and what the audience wants to hear.”