Toby Keith

 

You don’t have to know much about country music star Toby Keith to know that he takes great pride in being an American. And, like Outsiders, he has great respect for the men and women who have served his beloved country.

While entertaining thousands of people during his concerts, the “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” singer often brings Veterans on stage with him. On one such occasion, Toby Keith’s emotions took control and he was moved to tears.

This memorable moment took place on Aug. 21, 2015, according to Country Music Family. The “Beer for My Horses” singer was performing a concert in Charlotte, North Carolina. As he had done before, Keith took a break from performing his hit songs to introduce a Veteran to the stage. In his introduction of this special individual, the star described him as “a true American hero.”

“I have a very special guest here with me tonight. Lt. Col. Harry Frizzell Sr., 93 years old,” Toby Keith announced. “People! Listen! 34 years of service. Vietnam, Korea, WWII, and he put 4 kids through our school back home. I wanted y’all to see what a true American hero looks like.”

Lt. Frizzell then joined Keith on stage and they joined hands. Unsurprisingly, the crowd gave this Veteran the welcome he deserved.

Toby Keith then said he would be performing a song in honor of Lt. Frizzell on that August night in 2015. “I want to dedicate a song to him. I wrote it for my father, and I want to dedicate it to these kids’ father. Four wars! 34 years people!” he said.

Keith then broke out into his hit songs “American Soldier” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.”

Toby Keith Gives Veteran an Opportunity to Address Concert Crowd

During that concert in Charlotte, the country music star also gave Lt. Frizzell the chance to address the crowd. The Veteran’s message was a simple, yet poignant, one.

“My name is Lt. Col. Harry Frizzell. I’m from Oklahoma just like this gentleman (Toby Keith) … I would like to say just a few sentences here. God bless America,” he shared. Following these words, Keith can be seen wiping tears away from his eyes.

During his comments, Lt. Frizzell also shared details about his decades-long military career. He said that during his service in World War II is was stationed in Manila in the Philippines. He said he “got recalled for Korea.”

“And, I flew armed helicopters in Vietnam,” Lt. Frizzell told the crowd to cheers and applause. “Thirty-five years and I’m so proud to be a representative of the United States of America.”

Like most of us old enough to remember, country music star Luke Combs knows exactly where he was on the morning of September 11, 2001. Even if the gravity of the situation wasn’t completely apparent in youth, that day imprinted itself on the minds of kids everywhere across the United States. At one school in North Carolina, a kid sat in his chorus class as the first plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Fast forward 20 years, that same kid is preparing to perform for a sell-out crowd at PNC Arena in Raleigh. Ahead of his Saturday evening show, Luke Combs took to Twitter to share some words of remembrance in honor of those men and women who died during the 9/11 attacks.

“6th grade chorus class singing the national anthem. That’s where I was. If you were alive, you remember as well as I do. Today we remember all the Americans who lost their lives and the heroes who lost theirs trying to save anyone they could. Never Forget 9/11/01,” Luke Combs wrote in the tweet.

The context is everything. Here was a kid, not truly knowing what was going on at the time, who woke up the next morning in a completely different world. The one in which he’d have to grow up.

The Country Music Star’s Twitter Followers Share Their Own Experiences

Luke Combs wasn’t alone on that fateful morning in 2001. Some of his fans replied to the tweet, sharing their own experiences.

“7th grade math class. Our teacher went out into the hallway and came back in and said we all needed to go to the cafeteria. They turned on the tv and we saw what was going on. But being young, I never understood what was really happening until my mom picked me up crying,” a Luke Combs fan replied.

“Freshman algebra class. Our teacher turned her computer around and we watched while she cried and told us our lives were about to change forever. Wise statements for a teacher who was only 26 yrs old,” another wrote.

“7th grade computer science class. Can still feel the tremble, we thought it was an earthquake at first. I remember classmates being sent home because their parents worked in the city. I’ll never forget the day, the tears, the panic,” another recalled.

Do you remember where you were?

Luke Combs to Play Loretta Lynn’s Flood Relief Concert

In late August, many in Humphreys County, Tennessee became victims of devastating flooding. Dozens lost their lives.

Now, to provide relief for the area, Loretta Lynn and friends are putting on a benefit concert at the Grand Ole Opry. Luke Combs will join Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Luke Bryan, and others at the event. The benefit is set for Monday, September 13.

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