Rocker Sammy Hagar, carrying a Toby Keith t-shirt, advised the group on the CMT Awards, “Toby and I, we spent loads of time in Cabo collectively through the years.
“We closed the Cabo Wabo down much more instances than we bear in mind,” he mentioned, referencing his Cabo San Lucas bar. “It is laborious to get thrown out of your individual bar and we managed to try this.”
Hagar, recognized for his time enjoying guitar in Van Halen and solo songs “Heavy Metallic” and “I Cannot Drive 55,” then carried out Keith’s track “I Love This Bar.”
Hagar was one among three performers tapped to pay a musical tribute to the late Toby Keith together with Brooks & Dunn, who sang “Shoulda Been a Cowboy,” and Lainey Wilson who carried out “How Do You Like Me Now?”
Toby Keith, recognized for his nation hit “Ought to’ve Been a Cowboy,” died in February after battling abdomen most cancers.
Keith advised the world about his most cancers battle in June 2022 after a fall 2021 prognosis.
“Final fall, I used to be identified with abdomen most cancers,” he mentioned on social media. “I’ve spent the final 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgical procedure. Up to now, so good. I want time to breathe, recuperate and loosen up. I’m trying ahead to spending this time with my household.”
After Keith died, his household issued an announcement saying he “handed peacefully” whereas “surrounded by household” and that he “he fought his battle with grace and braveness.”
The performances at Sunday’s awards present channelled Keith’s grace and braveness, bringing his family and friends collectively as they reminisced and sang.
Holding purple Solo cups in honor of one other Keith track, the group (and performers) raised their cups and sang alongside.
Famed baseball pitcher Roger Clemens, who launched the tribute, returned to the stage on the finish and requested the group chant “Whiskey for my males and beer for my horses.”
He teared up as he thanked Keith’s widow and his youngsters for sharing their dad with the world.
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Previous to the present, Hagar advised The Tennessean, a part of the USA TODAY Community, that Keith was one among his finest mates and he was actually honored to have been requested to take part within the tribute.
Keith and Hagar met in Las Vegas in September 2001.
“I used to be doing a present at a spot and he was enjoying the subsequent night time, so he got here in to see my present. We turned mates and we frolicked in Vegas,” Hagar mentioned. “We simply actually hit it off good.”
Seems, Keith was additionally an enormous Van Halen fan; he beloved the 1988 track “End What Ya Began.”
The 2 have been in Vegas when Bernard Hopkins took on Felix Trinidad boxing within the middleweight championship.
“I guess on Hopkins to win and he received,” Hagar mentioned.
“I received $40,000 on the battle and Toby and I took the money, we stuffed it in a bag and we rented an enormous, massive outdated van and simply went to each bar on the town in Vegas,” Hagar reminisced.
“He might throw it down fairly good, you understand?” Hagar mentioned, with some emotion.
Hagar mentioned that he and Keith would carry out “I Love This Bar” collectively in Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Wabo, the bar Hagar fashioned alongside the Van Halen crew. Performing the identical track through the tribute was the easiest way to honor Keith and their friendship.
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Though Hagar is a tough rock man, he is at all times felt at dwelling in nation.
“I’ve extra nation mates — rock stars are slightly extra pretentious than the nation guys,” he mentioned with a smile.
Hitting the stage on the CMTs simply feels proper for Hagar. “I am not a rustic artist, however a rustic type of man,” he mentioned.
