Willie Nelson and Toby Keith are undoubtedly two of the biggest names in country music history, and their friendship spans over two decades.

One of the most memorable moments in country music was when they teamed up many years ago to create one of the genre’s most loved tracks. Their collaboration, “Beer For My Horses,” became an iconic country song. Released in 2003 as part of Toby Keith’s seventh studio album Unleashed, “Beer For My Horses” is a patriotic anthem that speaks to the frustrations of injustice. The song quickly became a modern classic, even inspiring a movie of the same name.

However, not only did Nelson and Keith work closely together, but they were also good friends until Keith’s untimely passing.

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Willie Nelson Remembers His Friendship With Toby Keith

After Toby Keith’s tragic passing on February 5th of this year following a battle with stomach cancer, the world mourned the loss of a music icon. To honor his legacy, the country music community came together for a special tribute show, American Icon: Toby Keith, celebrating his contributions to the music world and the impact he had on so many.

Throughout the night, a lineup of star-studded performances paid tribute to Toby Keith by covering his hit songs. Additionally, several video messages were shared, giving those close to Keith a chance to speak about their relationship with him. One of those messages came from Willie Nelson, who recalled his long friendship with Keith.

“Toby was a good guy, a good friend… a good songwriter,” Nelson began. “He wrote ‘Beer For My Horses,’ and we had a great record on that.”

“I just loved him a lot,” Nelson concluded, visibly emotional as he remembered Keith.

The Toby Keith tribute concert was filmed for a special multi-hour TV event that aired on NBC on Wednesday, August 28. If you missed it, you can now catch the entire concert streaming on Peacock.

Watch the clip of Willie Nelson remembering his friendship with Toby Keith below.