Jason Aldean honors Toby Keith with moving performance at ACM Awards

Jason Aldean stole the show Thursday night when he took to the Academy of Country Music stage to honor his friend, the late Toby Keith, with a moving rendition of Keith's hit "Should've Been a Cowboy."

Playing an acoustic guitar on a small round stage backed by a string section, Aldean was highlighted by photos of Keith throughout the years. Aldean paid tribute with a simple, heartfelt song that at times was only overshadowed by vocals emanating from the crowd.

Blake Shelton introduced the tribute by calling Keith a friend, a fan and a fellow Okie.

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"I feel heartbroken and yet honored to stand here tonight to remember a man who was one of the biggest country stars of all time, the late great Toby Keith," Shelton said. "Toby was a big star in every way. He sold more than 44 million albums, he had 33 No. 1 hits and 14 ACM awards. But he was more than that. He was a loving husband and a proud father and we're so honored to have all of them here tonight."

Aldean told reporter Marcus K. Dowling from The Nashville Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, before the show that he was honored to be invited to be a part of honoring one of his heroes.

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"I am glad to do something for Toby and honor him with a song I've played pretty much my whole career from the time I started playing clubs to even now," Aldean said. "Toby was a big influence for a lot of us in the business, so it was an honor for them to call me and ask me to be a part of it and honor him."

In addition to Aldean's tribute, the ACM Awards saw Chris Stapleton perform, with a surprise appearance from Dua Lipa.

Stapleton, who won the night's artist of the year and album award, pulled off the surprise of the night with his performance alongside wife Morgane and Lipa. The trio combined voices for a soulful rendition of "Think I'm in Love With You" that showcased Stapleton's trademark voice but also showed a new side of Lipa's vocal abilities.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: ACM Awards: Jason Aldean honors late Toby Keith with performance