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What to expect from the show

By Hudson Brooklyn
What to expect from the show

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Krystal Keith wasn't sure she would feel comfortable joining the star-studded lineup of the sold-out “Toby Keith: American Icon” benefit concert, but she still felt the urge to sing in honor of her late father.

“I went to our team and said, 'Listen, my heart is pulling me to be a part of this, as hard as this is going to be. I don't even know if I can go through this. But when all these artists come to celebrate him and perform and sing his songs, I feel like it's almost disrespectful for me not to be a part of it. So I think I have to sing if there's a place for me.' And of course they said, 'Of course you can absolutely sing. We'd love that,'” Krystal Keith said in a phone interview with The Oklahoman in late August.

Keith, a country singer and songwriter from Oklahoma like her famous father, said her heart sank when producers told her to perform his emotional ode “Don't Let the Old Man In” for the NBC concert special “Toby Keith: American Icon.”

“I thought, 'I was hoping I could get through a fun party song, but I don't know if I can do this.' So it really took me about a week to figure out if I could get through it and make him proud without breaking down. I listened to it several times, played it on the piano and sang along just to see if I could do it justice,” she said.

“I just came into my own. He would want me to do it. He would make fun of me if I messed up and I would say I couldn't do it. I can do anything I put my mind to, so I'm going to do it. I just had to get myself in the mindset of, 'OK, I'm a professional and I have to get through this song.' … I started losing it right at the end, but after I sang it, I cried, which is about the right time to cry.”

The television special “Toby Keith: American Icon,” recorded on July 29 in front of a sold-out crowd at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, pays tribute to the Norman-based superstar, who died on February 5 at the age of 62 after a years-long battle with stomach cancer.

Keith's daughter was joined by Oklahoma superstar Carrie Underwood and country singers Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Ashley McBryde, Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker, Lainey Wilson and others to perform hits from the late Sooner State superstar and celebrate his life and legacy.

The two-hour concert special will air on NBC at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28 and stream on Peacock the following day.

Krystal Keith revealed to The Oklahoman what viewers can expect before the special's TV premiere:

Q: Can you talk about the energy in the arena that night, especially for your family since several of you were there?

Our immediate family was very nervous leading up to the event because it's always difficult during this time. Whenever we have to go out and do something in public, we feel like we're on display. Everyone wants to see our reactions to everything.

It was a little nerve-racking, knowing we were going to be in a room with so many people on stage and so many eyes on us. Would my mom get through this? Would we get through this?

But (producer) RA Clark was there and his team was there and they really put us at ease. They said, 'Hey, if you guys have any problems and need a break, we have stuff we can work out. … We can shut it down and give you 20 minutes and then you can come back when you're ready. Whatever you need, we can work it out.' So they were really considerate in the way they treated our family and how our family was respected during this event. So we were grateful.

Q: Did you feel like the crowd was there to honor your father?

Yeah, it was really cool. … I think everyone knows that anything involving my dad is fun and a party. And that's exactly what it was: it was a celebration. We didn't want it to be sad. We really wanted to show what my dad wanted and who he was and embody him. So there was a bar on the stage and people had a great time.

In every take, the audience is singing along word for word. … These people were real fans, and so it was really cool to get the opportunity to celebrate him with people who have been going to his shows for 35 years and who we've seen on tour. They came to celebrate him with us. So it was really cool to feel that love and that energy.

Q: Did you think it was appropriate to include a military tribute in the show with the Honor Guard and the US Army Band?

A Toby Keith-themed show is not possible without military elements, without respecting, honoring and including the military.

Q: Was it important to your family that a portion of ticket sales benefit the local Toby Keith Foundation's OK Kids Korral and Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital in Nashville?

My dad didn't like award shows and things like that. He didn't go to frivolous things just for the sake of the event. So we thought if my dad was going to participate in something like that, he would want it to benefit the Corral. He would want it to have a philanthropic component to it that would make it worthwhile for him, and we just tried to honor that and carry on his legacy.

We all took on the responsibility of carrying on the efforts of Kids Korral and the burden of continuing to grow it and keep the doors open. When my dad was diagnosed with cancer, one of the first words he said was, “If I lose this battle, who's going to take care of the babies?” And he really wanted to make sure that someone carried that torch. So we, my siblings and I, just decided that it was our duty to carry that torch and make sure that we did everything we could to continue that.

A lot of these artists live in Nashville, like Carrie Underwood, who lives in Oklahoma and Nashville. She has a heart for Kids Korral and we talked to her a lot about it. It was incredible to work with her. But a lot of the other artists work a lot with Monroe Carell and Nashville is a second home for our family as well. We just felt like it was a really good way to honor both communities.

Q: The lineup included everything from established superstars to country music newcomers. What did it mean to you to have such a cross-section of country artists paying tribute to your father?

Yes, and I think there were a lot of artists that we talked to and invited that would have loved to be there but couldn't because they were on tour or had family commitments already. … It was really indicative of what he meant to them. At the show, a lot of the artists came out and before they sang, they talked about what my dad meant to them, or told a story about when they first met him or what influence he had on them. And that was really special to me.

Q: How was it decided who would sing which song on the show?

They went to each artist and asked, “What song would you like to sing?” And those artists got to choose the song that meant the most to them, and as long as no one else had already chosen that song, that song was given to them. Luke Bryan wanted to sing “Should've Been a Cowboy.” … Darius Rucker sings “God Love Her” at his shows on tour, so that's a song he's always loved. It's his favorite song. He had incredible words to say about my dad, and then he sang that song because that was the song that meant something to him.

And I think that's the difference between this special and a lot of the other tributes you see here: the artists aren't just singing any old song. They've actually thought about and felt about the song they've chosen.

Q: Did the producers say why they thought you were the right person to sing “Don't Let the Old Man In”?

They explained it to me and said, “Look, I think you're the only person who can sing that song.” I think the fans would have compared anyone else who tried to sing that song to my dad's version and his performance. And that would have been an unfair comparison because obviously nobody can do it like he can.

They felt that the only person who could sing that song and carry the sentimental meaning of the song without being unfairly criticized was his daughter. I think that sentimentality made sense to them. There's just the storyline: “This is his daughter singing the last song he sang nationally.”

I think from a production standpoint there were a lot of factors they took into account, but it was also probably the most meaningful song of their show because it had such a big impact not too long ago.

Q: Did it help that your sister Shelley announced your appearance?

Well, they didn't warn us, but they surprised everyone with a video of his (Toby Keith's) last studio session playing the Joe Diffie song “Ships That Don't Come In.” So they played that right before my sister had to speak, and I was ready to go on stage. … So, we were both crying when we both had to go on stage.

I think it was like a connection of, “Oh crap, we both have to do this.” But we had each other all night long… and were able to really enjoy it together and experience this moment together.

She'd never been on stage before. She'd never spoken publicly like that before. They called her up and said, “Hey, we really want you to introduce your sister and give her the family thanks.” … I think she did a really good job.

Q: Your family and the Diffie family have a close bond, so was it right to use this video as part of the show?

That was really special. Joe's dad was actually a bus driver for my dad for years, and his mom and dad would babysit us when we were traveling as kids. My dad would take us on the ride, and so my mom could see the show…Joe Diffie's mom would entertain us on the bus. …We've definitely known the Diffie family for a long time, and I know my dad really respected Joe and loved his family.

I think it was perhaps a bit of fate that this was his last studio session.

Q: I saw on Instagram that you wore one of your dad's cowboy hats when you appeared on the show. Why?

I felt like I had a part of him with me. When he performed, he wore a black cowboy hat, and when he performed in Vegas last time, he wore a black cowboy hat. I just felt like wearing one of his hats was a way to have him with me somehow, just as a kind of symbolic gesture to him. … I don't know if that was the reason I was able to get through it, but I did.

How to watch

The two-hour concert special “Toby Keith: American Icon” will air on NBC on Wednesday, August 28 at 8 p.m. and stream on Peacock the next day.

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