The Emotional News Toby Keith Never Heard

The 2024 Country Music Hall of Fame class was announced and included the late Toby Keith.  After a long battle with stomach cancer, the "Red Solo Cup" star passed away on February 5, 2024.

In a seemingly sad turn of events, the Country Music Hall of Fame voting results were received just a single day later on February 6. 

Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association's CEO reflected on the events in an announcement per The Associated Press.

"My heart sank that Tuesday afternoon knowing that we missed the chance to inform Toby while he was still with us, but I have no doubt that he's smiling down on us, knowing that he'll always be 'as good as he once was'."

The CMA has a rule that artist are not allowed to be elected to the Hall of Fame in the same year that they pass.  Due to the fact that the 2024 voting had closed before Keith's death, the rule did not apply.

Keith's everlasting legacy with 21 studio albums and 69 singles.  That includes 20 number one hits and an incredible 65 making the Billboard country charts.  Billboard records show that all but 10 of those songs reached the top 40 or higher.

A little known fact about the Country music star was that he also starred in two movies.  In 2006, "Broken Brides" was released where Keith starred alongside Kelly Preston, Burt Reynolds, and Willie Nelson.  In 2008, Keith actually wrote a movie with Rodney Carrington called "Beer for My Horses."

Over the course of his career, Keith earned 77 nominations for awards and 18 wins including 7 GRAMMY nominations, the 2004 ACM Award for Album of the Year, 2003 and 2004 ACM Entertainer of the Year, and the 2001 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year.

In 2015 Keith was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and, in 2021, into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Joining Keith, who comes in the modern-day category, in the class of 2024 will be Country star John Anderson in the veterans-era category and legendary guitarist James Burton in the recording/touring musician category