Toby Keith passed away Monday night (February 5) and left a hole in the country music world. As many would expect, Keith’s fellow country artists took to social media and other places to share their thoughts and mourn his passing. However, his passing also brought out at least one unexpected tribute. The Late Show host Stephen Colbert delivered a heartfelt tribute to the late country star on last night’s (February 6) episode of his show. Watch the full touching tribute below.
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After announcing the list of guests for the night, Colbert took a moment to talk about Keith’s passing and what he learned from the country hitmaker over the years. “As you’ve probably heard, last night we lost one of the greats. Country music legend Toby Keith passed away at the age of 62,” he began.
Colbert went on to say that he was shocked and saddened to hear of Keith’s passing. Like anyone else who paid attention to the country music world, he knew the “Red Solo Cup” singer was fighting cancer. However, he said he had hope that they would see one another again before that fight ended. “I was lucky enough to become friends with Toby over the years, as improbable as that seems,” Colbert added.
Stephen Colbert Meets Toby Keith
Colbert recalled meeting Keith on his previous show, The Colbert Report. Before the episode, he said he had a bit planned for Keith about his song “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.” However, he decided against it. “Right before I went onstage, I remember vividly looking down at my shoes and saying, ‘What are you doing? You’re a host! He’s your guest. Make him feel welcome. See who he is.’ And what do you know? We hit it off like a house of fire. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed talking to Toby Keith,” he recalled.
Colbert then recalled how he knew that Keith also enjoyed their initial interaction. The country star stopped him in the hall to tell him, “Hey man, you do a great job… Whatever the f— it is you do.”
“I took that as the greatest compliment,” Colbert said. “So much so that my then head writer Alison Silver, for Christmas had it stitched on a pillow for me. It has been in my office ever since.”
Learning an Important Lesson Becomes a Lasting Friendship
“That day, Toby taught me not to prejudge a guest and to have my intention to keep my eyes open to the reality of who they are. For that lesson, and for many other things, I’m always going to be grateful,” Colbert said. Later, he added, “Toby taught me not to judge people too quickly. And with his passing, I’m going to try to remember that. It’s something we all need to remember.”
Colbert then said one of his greatest honors was inducting Keith into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. That night, he was able to take the stage to sing “As Good as I Once Was.” He added that he used to listen to that song every night before his show.
About their friendship, he said, “I think he enjoyed how unlikely a pair we seemed. I sure did. You know, like when people are excited when a duck and a horse are friends? For the record, I was the duck.”
He concluded his tribute with a call for unity of sorts. “Tonight, I will issue this invitation to anybody. I do not care who you are. I will meet you at this place, I will meet you at being heartbroken that Toby Keith is gone.”
Featured Image by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame
