Stephen Colbert's Tribute To Toby Keith Revealed Their Unlikely Friendship

Upon first glance, it seems like country music star Toby Keith and late-night host Stephen Colbert are from two different worlds and would never be friends. However, that's the furthest thing from the truth. Following Keith's heartbreaking death at 62, Colbert honored his friend during an episode of "The Late Show." He explained to audiences how the men met when Keith was a guest on Colbert's previous show, the satirical "The Colbert Report." Colbert continued, "And back then, there was a not-so-helpful legend that I had knives out for some of my guests, and it didn't help that at the beginning, I sometimes did."

Although Colbert initially geared up to do his usual schtick with Keith, he had a change of heart. Instead, the comedian thought to himself, "'Make him feel welcome. See who he is.'"

When Colbert decided to go with that approach, the men got along well and had a great conversation. Colbert also said he ran into Keith in the hallway after the show was over: "He turned and caught my eye and said, 'Hey man, you do a great job. Whatever the f*** it is you do." Someone on the show's staff gifted Colbert a pillow with that quote stitched into it, which the comedian keeps in his office.

Stephen Colbert went on to say how he learned the lesson "not to prejudge a guest" from his first time meeting Toby Keith. He expressed gratitude to the country legend for that and honored Keith's legacy by discussing the "Beer For My Horses" singer's life and the successes of his career. Colbert also reminisced about some of the things they did together, such as in 2015 when Colbert performed a cover of Keith's "As Good As I Once Was" and inducted Keith into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. At the induction, Colbert reminisced about being unsure of what to expect when he first met Keith. Colbert said, "Once you listen to what he has to say and sing, everybody has a good time."

Keith being the life of the party seems to be a recurring theme. Keith's NFL pal Brett Favre said something similar when he recounted golf games the two played together.

While speaking on "The Late Show" following Keith's death, Colbert also said, "Toby taught me not to judge people too quickly, and with his passing, I'm gonna try to remember that again." He implored his audience to keep that in mind. The comedian ended his homage with a nickname for Keith: "Thank you, Big Dog."