Stephen Colbert’s ‘Unlikely’ Friendship With The Late Toby Keith Taught Him Big Life Lessons, He Emotionally Explained

On February 5, Toby Keith — a country music favorite known for hit songs like “As Good As I Once Was” and “Red Solo Cup” — died after a years-long battle with stomach cancer. Tributes poured in after the news was revealed yesterday (February 6), mostly from fellow country music artists, it seemed. On The Late Show last night, though, Stephen Colbert delivered a thoughtful tribute to Keith.

Colbert started, “I was shocked and saddened when I saw the news this morning. I knew Toby was ill — he’d been fighting stomach cancer for some time — but I still had hope that we would see each other again and that we would hear him on this stage. Because I was lucky enough to become friends with Toby over the years, as improbable as that seems.”

He then told a story about a 2006 interview he had with Keith on The Colbert Report, explaining just how memorable and formative the experience ended up being for him:

“Back then, there was a not-so-helpful legend that I had knives out for some of my guests, and it didn’t help that at the beginning, I sometimes did. And I remember having some kind of plan for Toby, I think related to his ‘boot in your ass’ song. But right before I went on stage, I remember vividly looking down at my shoes and saying, ‘What are you doing? You’re a host. He’s your guest. Make him feel welcome. See who he is.’ And what do you know? And we hit it off like a house afire. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed talking to Toby Keith.”

(The “‘boot in your ass’ song” refers to Keith’s post-9/11 single “Courtesy Of The Red, White, And Blue (The Angry American),” which sparked a feud with Natalie Maines of The Chicks.)

Colbert noted he and Keith ran into each other in a studio hallway after the taping. Keith told him, “Hey man: You do a great job, whatever the f*ck it is you do.” Colbert “took that as the greatest compliment,” and to this day, a prized possession he keeps in his office is a small pillow gifted to him from his then-head writer, which has that quote stitched onto it.

Colbert added, “That day, Toby taught me to not pre-judge a guest, and to have my intention, but to keep my eyes open to the reality of who they are. And for that lesson, and for a lot of other things, I’m always gonna be grateful.”

The host noted he and Keith enjoyed a professional relationship for years, including when Colbert inducted Keith into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2015. He also said it wasn’t just him who acknowledged their friendship might seem unusual: “I think he enjoyed how unlikely a pair we seemed. I sure did. You know, like, when people are excited when a duck and a horse are friends? Well for the record, I was the duck.”

Colbert also pointed out that things may not have always been as they seemed with Keith, saying, “Toby was always surprising people. You would think you know who Toby Keith was, and then you’re watching [Barack] Obama’s Nobel acceptance speech and there’s Toby Keith giving him a standing ovation! Toby, what are you doing this time?”

The host wrapped up by saying, “Toby taught me not to judge people too quickly, and with his passing, I will try to remember that again. It’s something we all need to remember. ‘Cause I’m sure Toby and I disagreed about many things, as so many Americans do these days. More and more of us are angrier angrier with each other.”

Colbert then got emotional, continuing, “But tonight, I will issue this invitation to anybody: I do not care who you are. I will meet you at this place. I will meet you at being broken-hearted that Toby Keith is gone. Thank you, big dog.”

Check out the touching video above.