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After Keith’s family confirmedthe country icon “passed peacefully” at age 62on Monday night, McEntire is opening up about her memories of touring with the “I Love This Bar” singer, a fellow Oklahoma native.
“We’re going to miss him so much, not only as a friend but a fellow performer and person in the music business and from Oklahoma,” McEntire tells PEOPLE in an interview about an upcoming collaboration with Sonic.
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“But he doesn’t have to fight anymore, and he doesn’t have to hurt anymore,” she adds of Keith, who wasdiagnosed with stomach cancerin the fall of 2021. “I hope one day to get to see him up in Heaven. Thank God we have his wonderful music to keep us company, even though he’s not here on earth with us.”
Throughout his decades-long career, Keith captivated audiences with chart-topping country hits including “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “I Love This Bar,” “As Good as I Once Was” and “Made in America,” among others.
Reba McEntire performs in Nashville in June 2023.Jason Kempin/Getty
Jason Kempin/Getty
Referencing Keith’s 2011 hit “Red Solo Cup,” theNot That Fancyauthor quips that the lyrics of that song resonate with her: “He and I do have that in common — I do love me a Solo cup.”
source: people.com
