Toby Keith was honored with a moving tribute at the 2024 CMT Music Awards on Sunday (April 8).
Making their first public appearance since their father's death, the children of Toby Keith attended the annual awards show and spoke fondly about their father's legacy.
Jelly Roll, the top winner of the night with three awards, seemed to have also won the hearts of the Keith family.
Toby Keith Family Predicts Jelly Roll Will Take Over Their Dad's Legacy
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, Krystal Keith, Toby's daughter, shared how they believe Jelly Roll will inherit their father's legacy.
"For me personally, I'm excited by Jelly Roll. He's someone I met back in 2018 before he really launched so every time he has a big hit, I'm excited for him," Krystal said after being asked which among the new artists they think upholds their father's legacy.
Stelen Keith Covel, Toby's son, echoed her sister's thoughts on Jelly Roll.
"Yeah, Jelly Roll's got a great story. I didn't know a lot about him until the beginning of this year and then I saw him explode and really fell in love with his music," he said. "I saw his tribute he did to our father at his show and I thought it was really special. I think he did a really great job and that meant a lot to us."
Toby's legacy was honored at the 2024 CMT Music Awards with a star-studded performance from Sammy Hagar ("I Love This Bar"), Brooks & Dunn ("Should've Been A Cowboy"), and Lainey Wilson ("How Do You Like Me Now?!").
Krystal also acknowledged Wilson's success as a leading female country singer, saying: "I think it's really cool what Lainey Wilson has done recently, and being a female in this industry is incredibly hard."
Toby, who won seven CMT Music Awards and earned a total of 30 nominations throughout his career, died on Feb. 5, at the age of 62, after a long battle with stomach cancer.
READ MORE: Toby Keith's Children Step into the Spotlight at 2024 CMT Music Awards and Tribute
Jelly Roll Wins Big at the 2024 CMT Music Awards
Jelly Roll was the most-awarded artist on the CMT Music Awards for two consecutive years. In 2023, he won the CMT Music Award for Male Video of the Year, Male Breakthrough Video of the Year, and CMT Digital-First Performance for "Son of A Sinner."
This year, he also scored three wins with "Need A Favor." He won the CMT Music Award for Video of the Year, Male Video of the Year, and CMT Performance of the Year.
READ MORE: Jelly Roll Sweeps 2024 CMT Music Awards For 2 Consecutive Years
