'You were my biggest champion': Toby Keith’s son Stelen Covel pens a heartfelt tribute pledging to make his 'guiding star' father proud

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Stelen Covel, the son of country music legend Toby Keith, penned a touching tribute to his late father on Instagram.

Keith died on Monday, February 5, at age 62, after battling stomach cancer.

Toby Keith: 'Strongest man' for his son Stelen Covel

Covel posted a childhood photo of himself swimming with his father and wrote a long message expressing his admiration and gratitude for Keith.

He wrote, “You are the strongest man I have ever known. A fighter. A true titan of your industry. My guiding star. My coach. My hero. An embodiment of the American Spirit.”

He also praised his father’s role as a family man, saying, “You are a man whose strength, prowess, and talent could only be trumped by his ability to be a father and husband."

"Your impact is forever stamped on the world and on millions of people, yet not one person knew you the way I did. You were my biggest champion and the guiding light in my darkest times,” he added.

Toby Keith's passion radiates from the everlasting echo of his musical legacy 

Covel celebrated his father’s legacy in the country music world. He said he "held a passion that was greater than mountains and it radiates through every lyric and chord."

"In the everlasting echo from the legacy of your music, you leave me strength and faith to lean on in the silence that follows. You truly did it your way, from the starting gates to the finish line, and never apologized for it,” he continued.

He concluded his tribute with a promise to honor his father’s memory. “The only thing I truly ever wanted in life was to make you proud. I promise I will continue to make you proud," Covel wrote.

"It’s not goodbye forever; it’s just goodbye for now. I love you, cowboy,” he added.

Toby Keith was a man larger than life for his daughter-in-law

Covel’s wife, Haley Covel, commented on his post, writing, “Thank you for sharing him with me. I love you.”

She also posted her tribute to Keith on Instagram, calling him “larger than life at home and on stage.”

"It’s a complete honor to be his daughter-in-law. He took me in as his own and I’ll be forever grateful for that," Haley wrote.

She shared a photo of him walking her down the aisle in 2021 when she married his son, Us Weekly reports. 

She wrote, “He walked me down the aisle in 2021 to marry his son. Thank you for all of the prayers for our family during this time.”