Toby Keith was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame one day after the singer died after a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62.
Sarah Trahern, the CEO of the Country Music Association, made the revelation Monday after announcing that singer John Anderson, 69, and James Burton, 84, would be joining Keith in the prestigious honor.
“Each of these inductees have made an indelible impact on country music,” Trahern said, per Billboard.
In her speech about each of the inductees, Trahern said that the election rules prohibit someone from being elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the year in which they pass away. However, that did not apply to the late singer as he had been elected prior to his death in February.
“Nominations were made in the fall of 2023 with the first ballot sent to voters before the holidays, with the final ballot closing on Friday, Feb. 2,” Trahern explained. “Our professional services partners at Deloitte released the results to us just a few days later.”
“This year, we anticipated receiving the names of our final inductees on Tuesday, Feb. 6. As we know now, we woke up that morning to the heartbreaking news that our friend Toby Keith had lost his long battle with stomach cancer,” she added, noting that they received the final votes from Deloitte mere hours after the news broke.
“Truly one of the greatest honors of my job is getting to inform these inductees that they are the newest members of the hallowed class,” Trahern said. “My heart sank that Tuesday afternoon, knowing that we had missed the chance to inform Toby while he was still with us.”
“But I have no doubt that he is smiling down on us, knowing that he will always be ‘as good as he once was,’” she concluded, referring to Keith’s 2005 single “As Good As I Once Was.”
A rep for the late singer told The Post that Keith’s family was grateful that he was voted in.
“Toby’s passing left our hearts broken,” the rep said. “We miss him so much.”
“But we take comfort that his music and legacy will live forever,” the statement continued. “Thank you Country Music Hall Of Fame for helping keep it alive.”
Keith’s family announced the country crooner’s passing on Feb. 6.
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family,” the post on X (formerly Twitter) read. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Two weeks prior to his death, the “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” singer opened up about his ongoing battle. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2022.
“I was going through all the chemo, radiation, surgery, and I got to the point where I was comfortable with whatever happened. I had my brain wrapped around it, and I was in a good spot either way,” the Country Music Award winner told Oklahoma’s News 9.
In the same interview, Keith praised his wife of 39 years, Tricia Lucus, for being “the best nurse.”
“Oh, she’s been a trooper,” he said. “The first time we went to Houston, to the hospital, she stepped right in and she just took control and said, ‘We got this. Let’s go.’ So she’s like, ‘We’re going to get this and don’t worry about it.’”
The formal induction of the Class of 2024 is slated to take place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN, in October.