Carrie Underwood paid tribute to late legend Toby Keith during her latest performance on the historic Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville, Tennessee. Underwood covered her fellow Oklahoma-born artistโs early 90s anthem, โShouldโve Been a Cowboy,โ in his honor over the weekend.
Keith released โShouldโve Been a Cowboyโ on his self-titled debut album in 1993. The 10-track project launched Keithโs decades-long career as a singer-songwriter. He became known for hits like โI Love This Bar,โ โGod Love Her,โ โAs Good As I Once Was,โ โBeer For My Horses,โ โHow Do You Like Me Now?!,โ โCourtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American),โ โMy List,โ and many others, solidifying him as a mainstay in the genre. Underwood is one of several to cover โShouldโve Been a Cowboyโ in Keithโs memory since his death earlier this year. A clip of her Opry performance was filmed by Kent Nicholas and shared by fan account CMU Fan โก on X, formerly Twitter (along with Underwoodโs renditions of โCry Pretty,โ โTake Me Outโ and โBefore He Cheatsโ).
โI should've been a cowboy/ I should've learned to rope and ride/ Wearin' my six-shooter, ridin' my pony on a cattle drive/ Stealin' the young girls' hearts/ Just like Gene and Roy/ Singin' those campfire songs/ Woah, I should've been a cowboyโ
Keith โpassed peacefully last night on Feb. 5 surrounded by his family,โ following a years-long battle with stomach cancer that he fought โwith grace and courage.โ He was 62. Underwood was one of many stars to honor Keith in an outpouring of tributes as the country music community began to mourn his loss on February 6. Underwood shared a few photos taken with the 2024 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee over the years, and wrote in her caption on Instagram: โSaddle up the horses, Jesus, โcause a true blue COWBOY just made his ride up to heaven!!! Introduce him to all the Okies and sign that boy up for the choir! Weโre gonna miss you, Toby, but my heart has no doubt that you are standing in the presence of our King right now!!! See you again someday, friend.โ