News

Toby Keith’s Mother Joined Him Onstage in One of His Final Shows before His Death

Toby Keith and his mother, Carolyn Covel, showed their sweet bond during his Las Vegas show in December 2023, where she joined him briefly on stage. Sadly, it was one of his last performances.

Toby Keith has had a colorful career in the music industry, much of which is credited to his mother. On December 12, 2023, during one of the late singer’s final shows, he pulled his mother, Carolyn Covel, to join him on stage and claimed she was the person who taught him how to sing.

Covel joined her son on the Park MGM Las Vegas stage, waved, and made the audience laugh. In a video that captured the sweet moment, Keith looked energetic and happy with his mom, showing their close bond.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Toby Keith (@tobykeith)

Undoubtedly, their short but sweet moment on stage became memorable for both Covel and Keith. Like her son, Covel was also a singer whose career halted when she gave birth to Ketih at 20 years old.

Toby Keith performs during the 2022 BMI Country Awards on November 08, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee | Source: Getty Images

“She had been looked at by some record execs who had come to my grandmother’s supper club, and they were looking at my mom as a singer. Her young pictures remind me of Patsy Cline,” Keith once said.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Toby Keith (@tobykeith)

He fondly remembered his mom performing with her hair tied up with a bandana. Covel would whistle well and sing to the best of her abilities while cleaning around the house. In 2016, he paid tribute to his mother on social media, sharing a throwback picture from his childhood.

Keith spent a lot of time with his mother in his older years as his dad, Hubert Covel Jr., passed away in 2001 after a tragic car accident. By that time, Keith was already a singer and canceled his scheduled shows to return home.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Toby Keith (@tobykeith)

 

Sadly, Keith also passed away in February 2024, following a tough battle with stomach cancer. He received his diagnosis in 2021 and had undergone surgery, radiation, and chemo. His death has impacted many artists in country music who flocked to social media to pay their respects, including Blake Shelton, who claimed he never imagined this ending for his dear friend.