The nation music star Reba McEntire is at the moment making ready to carry out the nationwide anthem for tens of millions of individuals earlier than the Tremendous Bowl on Sunday. Regardless of this, McEntire nonetheless took a while to pay tribute to the legendary nation music star Toby Keith, who died earlier this week on the age of 62 after a battle with abdomen most cancers.
McEntire Honors Keith
Keith and McEntire had been each from Oklahoma, and after his dying was introduced, she recalled her days of touring with him.
“We’re going to overlook him a lot, not solely as a good friend however a fellow performer and individual within the music enterprise and from Oklahoma,” McEntire, 68, instructed Folks Journal. “However he doesn’t need to struggle anymore, and he doesn’t have to harm anymore.”
This was a reference to Keith’s valiant battle with abdomen most cancers, which he was identified with within the fall of 2021.
“I hope someday to get to see him up in Heaven,” she continued. “Thank God we have now his fantastic music to maintain us firm, although he’s not right here on earth with us.”
McEntire has by no means forgotten occurring tour with Keith all through the mid-Nineties.
“That was numerous enjoyable,” she remembered. “Toby was extra of the renegade, the outlaw kind, and I’m the Little Miss Goody Two-Footwear, and so it was sort of like two ends of the spectrum.”
“He was an important author, an important singer. When Toby got here on the radio, you knew who that was,” McEntire added. “Toby Keith was a particular vocalist, a stylist, that you just knew precisely who he was. So, that’s a beautiful trait to have.”
McEntire concluded by referencing Keith’s 2011 hit tune “Crimson Solo Cup,” saying, “He and I do have that in frequent — I do love me a Solo cup.”
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Tributes Pour In For Keith
Keith’s household introduced on Tuesday morning that he had tragically died the night time earlier than.
“Toby Keith handed peacefully final night time on Feb. 5 surrounded by his household. He fought his struggle with grace and braveness,” they stated in an announcement. “Please respect the privateness of his household at the moment.”
Within the days since his dying, different tributes have been pouring in for Keith as nicely.
“Toby Keith was a patriot, you already know, and he didn’t care who had an issue with it,” the nation music star John Wealthy instructed Fox Information.
“Waking as much as the horrible information that our good friend, and legend @tobykeith has handed away from most cancers,” Wealthy later added on social media. “He was a real Patriot, a firstclass singer/songwriter, and a much bigger than life sort of man. He might be significantly missed.”
Blake Shelton, whose profession was helped by Keith many years in the past, honored Keith as nicely.
”Although I knew about your battle these previous couple of months I nonetheless by no means imagined at the present time,” he stated, based on NBC Information. “Anybody who knew you is aware of what I imply. You had been the hardest man I ever met. Thanks, brother, for being a good friend, a hero and an inspiration. There’ll by no means be one other Toby Keith.”
McEntire’s Tremendous Bowl Preparations
As for McEntire, she’s gearing as much as carry out the nationwide anthem on the Tremendous Bowl on Sunday.
“I’ve been singing the Nationwide Anthem within the bathe [and] after we get within the automobile,” McEntire instructed Folks, referencing automobile rides together with her boyfriend Rex Linn, who she describes as a “big soccer fan.”
“He’ll say, ‘OK, sing it another time.’ I stated, ‘I believe I do know the phrases actual good proper now, so I’m alright,’” she continued, including that it “helps” to “know that everyone’s gonna be singing it with me” at Allegiant Stadium.
“If I do know they’re singing alongside, and so they’re remembering and having enjoyable too, that’s simpler on me, however simply to be ready whenever you stroll on the market,” she defined.
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McEntire went on to say that she is “honored past phrases” to carry out the nationwide anthem on the Tremendous Bowl for the primary time.
“I get to sing a really particular tune for all Individuals, individuals all all over the world, who’ve actually labored so laborious for our freedom and to offer us peace,” she gushed. “It’s not about me — I’m the illustration of this tune, and I’m simply honored to get to sing it. It’s a great one. I’ve been doing it for 50 years, and I’m actually proud to get to sing it.”
That is clearly a particularly busy time for McEntire, so it says loads about her love for Keith that she took time away from her Tremendous Bowl preparations to pay tribute for him. Please be part of us in saying a prayer for McEntire and Keith’s different family members throughout this troublesome time.
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