The night was special anyway, with Jelly Roll taking home three awards, including Video of the Year, but the tribute to Toby Keith made it a night most fans will never forget.

Brooks & Dunn, Sammy Hagar, And Lainey Wilson Took The Stage To Honor Toby Keith.

Legendary duo Brooks & Dunn took the stage first to perform Keith’s mega-hit, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy.” They were followed by Hagar, who sang “I Love This Bar.” Wilson closed the tribute with a rockin’ rendition of “How Do You Like Me Now?!”

Brooks & Dunn got some criticism online for flubbing the lyrics, but the reaction of Keith’s three children, Shelley, Krystal, and Stelen, said it all. They were all incredibly emotional, and seeing their dad’s songs being performed again meant so much.

MLB Legend Roger Clemens Introduced The Tributes And Eventually Joined All The Performers On Stage And Led The Crowd In A Toast.

Clemens thanked Keith’s children for sharing their dad with the world, which made them extremely emotional.

He and everyone on stage, along with everyone in the crowd, held up their red solo cups – or their fists if they didn’t have cups handy.

“Repeat after me,” he told the crowd. “Whiskey for my men…and beer for my horses!”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by CMT (@cmt)

The entire Moody Center crowd repeated those iconic lyrics and then drank whatever was in their cup. During the toast, Clemens became visibly emotional, toasting to his late friend. Clemens and Keith were friends for over a decade, which makes sense why the retired baseball player was so emotional.

After Toby Keith passed away on February 5, Clemens took to social media to share a series of videos and photos. The first video he shared was about a week before Keith’s passing. He took the microphone at a golf event and sang a Keith song. At the time he didn’t know why, but after his friend’s death he felt he knew why.

“I am so heartbroken with the loss of my good friend Big Dog Daddy,” Slemens wrote on social media the day after Keith’s death. “A TRUE friend. When you first met Toby he made you feel like he’s known you for years. There’s no one on this earth that loved his country more. (NO ONE!) A great talent, and gentle giant that took no shit from anybody. He always picked one side of the fence! He loved sports, just about as much as he loved music. I will miss talking late night baseball with my dude. Rest assured Big Dog I will be singing your songs any chance I get!”

RELATED: ROUNDUP: Artists Who Have Paid Tribute To Toby Keith

Watch Clemens’ emotional toast below.

Follow Clemenson BandsintownSHARE ON FACEBOOK