Blake Shelton’s heartfelt tribute to Toby Keith at the Country Music Hall of Fame featured a familiar red, white, and blue acoustic guitar—one that holds significant meaning for both artists.
Shelton explained how he acquired the guitar for the Medallion ceremony, where Keith was inducted alongside John Anderson and James Burton on October 20. During the event, Shelton performed “I Love This Bar” as part of a three-song tribute.
The guitar was originally owned by Keith, used during his “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” era, although he was unaware of its connection to him. Shelton detailed the journey to obtain the instrument, saying, “When they made those red, white and blue guitars for Toby, they created four in total. Toby received three of them, but my friend David Vincent at Takamine had one left.”
Shelton reached out to Vincent to express his desire to honor Keith during the induction ceremony. Vincent revealed that the fourth guitar was still in his possession, kept as a backup for emergencies on tour. Shelton remarked, “We’re always tearing up our stuff on the road,” making the guitar’s preservation even more serendipitous.
“This was actually the other one that Toby never got; he probably never even knew it was made. It’s going to be a prized possession for me for the rest of my life,” Shelton added.
The bond between Shelton and Keith runs deep, with Shelton crediting Keith for revitalizing his career. “For almost two years, I opened for Toby. It was a big deal for me, and he gave me that shot when I was struggling with success at radio,” Shelton shared. “I think he knew it was helping me out, and it was.”
Despite facing challenges, including being overlooked by voters at major awards shows, Keith’s influence and support have had a lasting impact on Shelton’s journey in country music.
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