Luke Combs Honors Toby Keith With “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” Cover At The Ryman

(Left) Jeff Kravitz / ACMA2018 / FilmMagic for ACM / Getty Images / (Right) Raised Rowdy / Instagram

Luke Combs Pays Tribute To Toby Keith After His Death

Luke Combs honored Toby Keith in more ways than one after learning about his passing at the age of 62.

Keith died on Monday, February 5 following a years-long battle with stomach cancer. Country fans and artists started hearing the sad news as they woke up on Tuesday morning (February 6).

Combs was one of many country stars who reacted to the news of Keith’s death. He shared a short and simple statement on X (formerly Twitter) that perfectly summed up many people’s thoughts.

“Damn, RIP Toby.” Can’t believe it,” he said.

Hear Him Sing “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” In Toby’s Honor

Combs had a show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Tuesday night, just hours after learning about Keith’s death. The concert was a private show for winners of his “Living Lucky with Luke Combs” partnership he made with lotteries in 15 U.S. states.

The Tennessean reports that Combs played a 90-minute set for the lucky few fans in attendance. That set included his popular cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” which he just performed with her during the Grammys on Sunday (February 4).

Combs also paid tribute to Keith during the show. He performed “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” which Keith released as his debut single on February 12, 1993.

The song reached #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart following its release. It’s since been certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA.

Combs’ fans cheered, clapped, and sang along as he delivered an enthusiastic cover of the iconic track at the Ryman.

You can watch a video showcasing part of Combs’ “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” cover below. It was a fitting tribute to the legendary singer and songwriter Keith will forever be known as.

Toby Keith was the founder of the Toby Keith Foundation. The foundation helps support the OK Kids Korral, which serves as a home-away-from-home for families with children undergoing cancer treatments. If you’d like to make a donation in Toby’s memory, you can visit the Toby Keith Foundation’s official website here.