The nation music star Reba McEntire is at the moment making ready to carry out the nationwide anthem for hundreds of thousands 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 have been each from Oklahoma, and after his demise was introduced, she recalled her days of touring with him.
“We’re going to overlook him a lot, not solely as a pal 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 recognized with within the fall of 2021.
“I hope someday to get to see him up in Heaven,” she continued. “Thank God we now have his great music to maintain us firm, despite the fact that he’s not right here on earth with us.”
McEntire has by no means forgotten happening tour with Keith all through the mid-Nineties.
“That was quite a lot of enjoyable,” she remembered. “Toby was extra of the renegade, the outlaw sort, and I’m the Little Miss Goody Two-Sneakers, and so it was type of like two ends of the spectrum.”
“He was an ideal author, an ideal 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 an exquisite trait to have.”
McEntire concluded by referencing Keith’s 2011 hit tune “Purple 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 mentioned in a press release. “Please respect the privateness of his household at the moment.”
Within the days since his demise, different tributes have been pouring in for Keith as effectively.
“Toby Keith was a patriot, , 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 pal, and legend @tobykeith has handed away from most cancers,” Wealthy later added on social media. “He was a real Patriot, a first-class singer/songwriter, and an even bigger than life type of man. He will probably be significantly missed.”
Blake Shelton, whose profession was helped by Keith a long time in the past, honored Keith as effectively.
”Though I knew about your battle these previous few months I nonetheless by no means imagined today,” he mentioned, in response to NBC Information. “Anybody who knew you is aware of what I imply. You have been the hardest man I ever met. Thanks, brother, for being a pal, 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 automotive,” McEntire instructed Folks, referencing automotive rides together with her boyfriend Rex Linn, who she describes as a “large soccer fan.”
“He’ll say, ‘OK, sing it yet one more time.’ I mentioned, ‘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 world wide, 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 quite a bit about her love for Keith that she took time away from her Tremendous Bowl preparations to pay tribute for him. Please be a part of us in saying a prayer for McEntire and Keith’s different family members throughout this troublesome time.
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