“Just When I Thought My Respect for Toby Keith Could Not Get Any Greater” I Watched Him Sing “American Soldier” With a Make-A-Wish Kid

Toby Keith made a young boy’s dream come true. While performing in Cleveland, Ohio back in 2005, the country singer introduced a special 10-year-old boy, Trevor Scott.

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“There’s a lot of great foundations in this country that do a lot of things for people less fortunate than us,” Keith told the crowd. “Make-A-Wish Foundation has asked me, from their Cleveland chapter here, to make a young man’s dream come true tonight. My Make-A-Wish gift to this kid is what he wanted done. He wants to sing this song with me. So y’all say hello to Trevor Scott.”

With that, the crowd broke into applause as Scott made his way onstage. Keith proceeded to kneel down to Scott’s level and sing his 2003 hit, “American Soldier,” with him.

After singing the song’s opening moments together, Keith let Scott take it away. The country star watched in awe as the little boy carried the tune himself, expertly nailing all of the words and his vocals.

The crowd was equally impressed, cheering Scott along throughout his time on stage. Eventually, Keith joined back in and the pair delivered an unforgettable performance, which ended with both guys saluting the crowd.

In 2015, a man named Bill Britt posted a video of the moment to YouTube. He purported to be Scott’s dad, and claimed that, three days after the performance, his son received a life-saving liver transplant.

In the comments section, Britt wrote of Scott, “He is doing very well after receiving a liver transplant. He is ten years post transplant and is a aspiring law student currently.”

A fan added, “Just when I thought my respect for Toby Keith could not get any greater…. God bless Toby and young Trevor.”

Toby Keith’s Charitable Work

Following the special moment with Scott, Keith went on to write and record music for nearly two decades. In addition to his storied country music career, Keith was known for his philanthropic work.

Most notably, Keith started a foundation in 2006 in an effort to help kids in Oklahoma who were battling cancer. Later, the foundation opened OK Kids Korral, a no-cost housing solution for the families of pediatric cancer patients.

The “Red Solo Cup” singer died on Feb. 5, 2024 after a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62.