Darius Rucker pays tribute to Toby Keith following arrest

On Tuesday, following the news that country music star Toby Keith died at 62 from cancer, Darius Rucker took to the stage at the Grand Ole Opry to pay tribute to Keith with a cover of his song, “God Love Her.”

Rucker, 57, told the audience at the famous Nashville, Tennessee, music venue, “We woke up to some sad news this morning. Country music lost Toby Keith, and I wanted to do something special for Toby tonight.

“It’s one of his songs, my favorite Toby Keith song,” he said, referring to the hit single from Keith’s 2008 album, “That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy.” 

“So this goes out to Toby,” he told the crowd. 

The tribute performance comes after Rucker was arrested on Feb. 1 on minor drug offenses, and was allegedly caught with marijuana and psychedelic pills in Tennessee. 

A spokesperson for the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee confirmed to The Post that Rucker was booked on three separate charges.

The Hootie & the Blowfish member was charged with two counts of simple possession/casual exchange of a controlled substance and one count of a violation of the state’s vehicle registration law.

Keith’s death was announced in a social media statement Tuesday. 

“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family,” the post reads. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”

Just two weeks ago, the “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” hitmaker opened up about his cancer battle, revealing he was diagnosed in 2021.

“I was going through all the chemo, radiation, surgery, and I got to the point where I was comfortable with whatever happened. I had my brain wrapped around it, and I was in a good spot either way,” he told Oklahoma’s News 9. 

The Grand Ole Opry posted on social media following Keith’s death: “We loved the times Toby Keith played this stage, including most recently when he visited the Opry House to accept the first-ever People’s Choice Country Icon Award. Toby’s music will live on forever, and we’re remembering alongside his many friends and family.”

Rucker posted footage of his performance in his Instagram story, showing him singing onstage with an image of Keith behind him. 

Rucker also posted a photo of himself onstage with Keith during a past performance, writing in his caption: “Country music lost a legend. RIP Toby.”