Darryl Worley has found a sweet way to honor Toby Keith at his live shows. The “Have You Forgotten?” singer reveals on social media how he remembers and honors the country music icon, who passed away on February 5 from stomach cancer, every time he takes the stage, by playing one of Keith’s biggest hits to kick off his own show.
“They came to us early in the tour and said, ‘Hey, would you guys like to have a specific song that the band will walk on to?” Worley recalls. “And I thought about it for a moment, and it just dawned on me, hey, we just lost Toby. Might be really cool, kind of as a tribute to him, and the fact that I think he and I both really had a spot in our hearts for the troops. We both had big hit songs, songs that kind of came about as a result of 9/11 and the whole conflicts that followed.”
In honor of Keith, and his shared love with Worley of the United States of America, Worley now plays “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” ahead of his performance every night.
“We weren’t trying to design anything to fire everybody up,” Worley explains. “But every night the crowd has just gone nuts. They all light their phones up in the place. After the first night, I said, ‘Yeah, we’ll stick with that.'”
Thinking about @tobykeith! He was one of a kind… #courtseyoftheredwhiteandblue pic.twitter.com/VWNtUUJOX9
— Darryl Worley (@darrylworley) April 25, 2024
Worley is back at radio with a new song, out now. The Tennessee native just released “Tractor Time,” a collaboration with both Chris Janson and Justin Moore.
“I think it’s the perfect summer anthem,” Worley says. “I’m so grateful to have Justin Moore and Chris Janson on this tune with me. It’s a fun little number with a big fat groove and a contagious melody. Turn up the dial and get yourself a little dose of redneck therapy.”
Earlier this year, while on the Country Music Cruise, Worley hinted at releasing the summer anthem.
‘We feel like it’s going to be a hit,” Worley predicted to Everything Nash. “It certainly has the potential. It’s real funky and fun. It’s just about getting on the tractor for therapy. It’s a lot of fun, and I’m excited. We haven’t had an opportunity like this in quite some time. We’re still out there working and I’m still singing.”
Worley has plenty of shows on the calendar throughout the remainder of 2024. Find “Tractor Time” and all of his music and upcoming concerts, at DarrylWorley.com.
Keith will be posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with John Anderson, and guitarist James Burton. A date for the ceremony has yet to be revealed.
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