Country Music Fans Call Toby Keith’s Lost Demo a “Precious Gift”

• Country singer Toby Keith died on February 5, 2024.

• The singer’s team just shared a lost demo from 2015.

• ERNEST has released his own version of the song.

It’s been almost two years since Toby Keith passed away, but the country legend continues to wow audiences every day with his unmatched sound. As iconic as his full catalog of music is, it’s his latest lost demo that has fans reeling.

On October 10, Apple Music released Toby’s lost demo of “End of the Night,” a song he co-wrote back in 2015. The twist? As part of the streamers’ Lost & Found series, ERNEST was the one who recorded it.

“It’s cool to hear how raw [the demo] was and how much energy and power and torque,” ERNEST said in the press release, referencing Toby’s raw recording. “To the day he died, [Toby Keith] sang with everything. It’s an honor and a duty as country singers to keep the spirit alive of those who went on before us. I think it is what makes country music great.”

While ERNEST’s version of the song is available exclusively on Apple Music (something many fans are irked by), Toby’s team released the original demo, much to their enjoyment.

“His voice felt so much like a good home. He was such a sweet gift to this world,” one fan commented. “This is a precious gift from God. We want to hear the whole thing. This is just too good,” someone else wrote. “I love this trend of finding old demos of really good artists. It doesn’t involve AI and is still something new. What we all miss is new Toby Keith music,” another fan chimed in.

ERNEST is also a fan of revisiting lost demos. “Every now and then, you get to pull a little diamond out of there and a little piece of history, and this is no exception,” he continued in the press release. “I’ll never be able to sing a Toby Keith song as good as Toby Keith can sing a Toby Keith song, but I’m gonna give it hell to sing it the best I can for sure.”

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