SEE COUNTRY TITAN TOBY KEITH AND ACCLAIMED GLOBAL SUPERSTAR LUKE COMBS RECORD THE TOUCHING DIFFTAPE DUET
ICYMI: TOBY KEITH: AMERICAN ICON AIRED LAST NIGHT ON NBC, INCLUDING A PERFORMANCE FROM HIXTAPE ORIGINATOR HARDY
NASHVILLE, TENN. – Five months since the release of HIXTAPE: Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE, the 17-song collaborations project honoring the life and works of Joe Diffie, Big Loud Records’ HIXTAPE is pulling back the curtain today with a special, once-in-a-lifetime moment caught on tape.
Releasing the “Ships That Don’t Come In” Official Studio Video, out now, the behind-the-scenes clip reveals moving moments as late country giant Toby Keith and Luke Combs recorded vocals for the Diffie staple in Nashville last year. The powerhouse pair’s rendition of the 1992 tune marks Keith’s final recorded vocal, and the clip shows Keith’s last recording session before his passing in February of this year.
“To be on a song with Toby was a no-brainer when it got presented to me. That was something I had always hoped to do but never knew if it would happen or not,” Combs shares. “It being one of Joe’s songs, especially this one, made it even better; he was there the night I got inducted into the Opry and actually gave me my Opry member award. I grew up listening to both of those guys’ music, so to be a part of this version of the song and it now be Toby’s last recording is kind of hard to put into words. Country music misses them greatly, but I hope we’re doing justice to continue what they started.”
Released in conjunction with the Diffie estate, the song features vocals from Diffie captured in 2006 previously unheard prior to DIFFTAPE – the third installment of the HIXTAPE franchise pioneered by Big Loud Records’ HARDY. Embraced by fans and artists alike, critics define “Ships That Don’t Come In” as “a moving coda to Keith’s studio career” (Rolling Stone) and “particularly poignant” (Billboard).
Watch “Ships That Don’t Come In” Official Studio Video here.
A two-hour concert special honoring the life and music of Toby Keith, Toby Keith: American Icon, aired last night on NBC with viewing available now via Peacock. The star-studded tribute included performances and special appearances by HARDY and fellow HIXTAPE collaborators Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Lainey Wilson, and Trace Adkins, among others.
