Toby Keith's daughter gives emotional performance during late singer's tribute special
Toby Keith’s children are continuing to celebrate his life.
The late country singer and his wife, Tricia Lucus, raised three children: Shelley Covel Rowland, Krystal Keith and Stelen Keith Covel.
During the NBC special “Toby Keith: American Icon,” Krystal Keith took the stage to perform an emotional rendition of “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” which was the song the late singer sang during his final performance before his death.
The special was taped at Bridgestone Arena on July 29 in Nashville, but aired on Aug. 28.
The country superstar's children and wife were in attendance and appeared visibly touched by the event.
“Nothing meant more to him than his family. They are the guiding light behind this event," Jelly Roll told the crowd before introducing Toby Keith's daughter Shelley Covel Rowland.
"I just want to say thank you to these tremendous artists and to all of you for coming together, celebrating my dad and continuing his charitable work," she said. "I think he would be having a heck of a time, especially knowing that all of this music, energy and love benefits his OK Kids Corral and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt."
She added, “My dad knew that your worth isn’t measured by what you have, but by what you give. It’s a lesson he taught us, and I imagine all of you as well.”
Toby Keith died at age 62 on Feb. 5 after being diagnosed with stomach cancer two years prior.
According to a post on his official Instagram page, Toby Keith died surrounded by family.
“He fought his fight with grace and courage,” the message read. “Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Earlier this year, Lucus and her children attended the 2024 CMT Music Awards to celebrate his legacy.
Here’s what to know about Toby Keith’s kids.
Shelley Covel Rowland
Shelley Covel Rowland, 44, is Toby Keith’s oldest daughter. Rowland was Lucus' daughter from a previous relationship, and Toby Keith reportedly adopted her after he married Lucus.
Rowland does not share much about her life on social media, but she did make a public appearance with her family in 2015.
She, her mom and her sister, Krystal Keith, joined the country singer at a launch event for SwingDish in Las Vegas in August 2015.
She spoke at the 20th edition of the The Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic, a fundraising event, in June 2024 after her father's passing.
“I might cry, so bear with me. Tonight marks 20 years of this event,” she said per the Oklahoman. "Good job, Daddy."
Krystal Keith
Krystal Keith, 38, is Toby Keith and Lucus’ younger daughter.
She followed in her dad’s musical footsteps, and they memorably sang on stage together at the 2004 CMA Awards, performing his hit song from that year, “Mockingbird.”
“Growing up in and around the industry, I had a love for music and just knew that someday, this is what I would pursue,” Krystal Keith told iHeart Country in 2018.
Describing her own style, Krystal Keith said that while her dad had “a really heavy influence” on her, she also draws inspiration from Patsy Cline, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire and other female country legends.
In recent years, Krystal Keith's musical career took a backseat as she focused on raising her children. She shares two daughters with her husband, Andrew Sandubrae.
“She’s raising beautiful babies. I mean, she’s a mother,” Toby Keith said in a 2017 video shared by Taste of Country. “She loves to sing, but she loves being a mother and she’s so busy with those kids. They are constantly doing something … But I heard her sing at an event. She’s still got the pipes.”
On Feb. 9, Krystal Keith said she was “shattered” following her father’s death in an Instagram post.
In the first slide of her slideshow post, the two are seen standing on a stage with their fingers pointing toward the sky. That photo was followed by several more moments, including many snaps of Toby Keith with his grandchildren.
“As great as he was in his career, he was so much greater as a dad and a husband and a Pop Pop,” she wrote. “He was my hero.”
Krystal Keith expressed how “lucky” she felt to have her father by her side during the milestone moments of her life, including walking her down the aisle at her wedding and getting a chance to meet his grandchildren.
“I am blessed that I got to spend years traveling on the road and singing on stage with him,” she added. “That I have mountains of video footage and endless tracks of music to watch him on and hear his voice with. I’m lucky I got to say goodbye and tell him what he meant to me.”
She also acknowledged the outpouring of tributes and love for her father in the wake of his death, writing, “He was the world’s. He is the gift that we were, as a family, able to offer the world and he did not squander our sacrifice of time with him.”
“He lived a hundred lives of accomplishments and impact in peoples lives,” she said. “There is so much he did for people that no one knew about, even us. He didn’t want recognition for doing good deeds, he just did them because his heart led him to or someone needed him to.”
Krystal Keith ended her caption with the promise to “forever honor” her father after his death.
Stelen Keith CovelStelen Keith Covel, 27, is the only son of Toby Keith and Lucus.
Covel married his wife, Haley Covel, in November 2021, according to a post on his Instagram page celebrating their wedding anniversary.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he is a real estate investor who has been the co-owner or director of several ventures, including the restaurants 405 Burger Bar, Hollywood Corners and Tequila Chulos.
In 2014, Covel shared a throwback pic on Instagram of him as a little boy with his dad.
“Tell me where I get it from. Man they always wonder who, then they meet my pops and tell him Stelen’s just another you,” he wrote in the caption.
A couple of days after Toby Keith's death, Covel paid homage to his late father with a touching sentiment on social media.
On Feb. 8, Covel posted a childhood throwback photo on Instagram of him and his father in the pool. In the caption, he penned an emotional tribute to the country singer, writing in part, “You are the strongest man I have ever known.”
“A fighter. A true titan of your industry,” he continued. “My guiding star. My coach. My hero. An embodiment of the American Spirit.”
Covel recognized his father as a talented musician, but celebrated him as a “father and husband” above all.
“Your impact is forever stamped on the world and on millions of people, yet not one person knew you the way I did,” he added. “You were my biggest champion and the guiding light in my darkest times.”
He called his father the “best mentor a man could ask for,” noting, “You held a passion that was greater than mountains and it radiates through every lyric and chord.”
Covel concluded his post on a sentimental note, writing, “The only thing I truly ever wanted in life was to make you proud. I promise I will continue to make you proud.”
CORRECTION (April 12, 2024, 10:11 p.m.): An earlier version of this article misstated that Toby Keith died at age 52. Toby Keith died on Feb. 5 at age 62, not at 52.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
