Toby Keith delivered a major surprise to Jason Aldean fans when he showed up at Aldean’s show in his native Oklahoma to sing one of his greatest hits.
Videos by American Songwriter
Amidst his ongoing battle with stomach cancer, Keith got a warm reception from the crowd at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The audience gave Keith an extended round of applause when he emerged onto the stage. “I’m on my rehab tour,” Keith quipped. “If I ain’t at my bar, I’m down at Hollywood Corners or I’m onstage with Jason Aldean. But the Almighty’s been riding shotgun and my ass is getting ready to go back to work.”
[RELATED: Toby Keith Celebrates Solo-Penned Hits on ‘100% Songwriter’]
They then launched into one of Keith’s signature hits, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” Aldean mostly let Keith take the lead, supporting on guitar and trading vocals on the chorus. “Sometimes you just have one of those special nights that you will never forget,” Aldean shared on Twitter after the show. “I had one of those tonight in Oklahoma City. Thank you to a true fucking legend @tobykeith for coming out tonite. Mad respect and u brought the house down big Dawg!”
“Last night, Toby joined @jasonaldean on stage at his show in Oklahoma City and the crowd sang every word of “Should’ve Been A Cowboy”!” Keith shared on Instagram.
Aldean’s show was the latest of Keith’s public appearances since he’s been largely out of the spotlight while undergoing treatment. The hitmaker was on hand at the inaugural 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards in September 2023 where he was bestowed with the Country Icon Award and performed “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”
“I feel pretty good, you have good days and bad days, it’s a little bit of a rollercoaster, but I’m doing a lot better than I was this time last year,” he reported on the red carpet about his health status. “I’ve walked some dark hallways, Almighty’s riding shotgun. I’ve always rode with a prayer and as long as I have Him with me, I’m cool. You just have to dig in, you don’t have a choice.”
Days later, Keith showed up at the Nashville Songwriter Awards to honor hit songwriter Bobby Braddock with a performance of one of the hits he penned for Keith, “I Wanna Talk About Me.”
Photo: YouTube
