Craig Morgan has served nearly two decades in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve, and he has sung for troops all over the world. But at a recent concert, one song stopped him cold. Partway through Toby Keith’s “American Soldier,” Morgan’s voice broke so badly he could barely get the words out. He stepped to the microphone and asked the audience for help: “Sing it with me now, ’cause I’m havin’ a problem.”
The crowd picked up the song and kept it going while he pulled himself together. Then Craig Morgan came back in and finished it.
A Song He Had Never Sung on Stage
The moment came only days after Morgan released his new album, My Country, on November 6, 2026. The 11-song record, timed ahead of Veterans Day and America’s 250th anniversary, includes his own version of “American Soldier,” the song Toby Keith wrote with Chuck Cannon and took to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart in early 2004.
Morgan has said he had never performed the song live until he debuted it at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium during the album’s release weekend. Talking about it on Backstage Country, he did not hide what it does to him.
“It is a very emotional song for me.”
He also made sure Toby’s loved ones were on board first. Announcing the album, Morgan said he felt privileged to have the blessing of his friend’s family to record and release his own version.
The Last Time He Saw Toby Keith
Toby Keith died in February 2024 after a battle with stomach cancer. In an interview with Taste of Country Nights, Craig Morgan remembered their final conversation. It happened on Toby’s tour bus after a show, when Toby was already very sick. The two men talked about their service to the country, and Morgan mentioned he was thinking about going back into the military.
Toby supported the idea, but he could not resist a jab. Morgan recalled him asking whether he would really be able to hang with the guys in uniform. Morgan’s answer says a lot about him:
“This is what I do. It’s who I am. The music is just my living, and I’m grateful that I have it, but I’m a soldier.”
The two had become close only later in their careers, after playing a string of shows together. They had plans for a big tour built around their support for the military. Toby passed away before it could happen. Morgan has admitted he wishes their friendship had covered his whole career, and he has said there is a story between them that he will keep to himself.
Why This Song Hits Him Harder Than Most
Craig Morgan joined the Army as a young man and served with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions before his country career took off. In 2023, already a star, he reenlisted in the Army Reserve, taking his oath on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. He still serves today as a warrant officer.
As a songwriter, Morgan has said it always frustrated him to see artists cover song after song when so many great new songs go unheard. He made an exception for this one because, in his words, it was perfect for an album about his country and he was honored to sing it as a soldier.
“I am an American soldier and I love my country and I love what this song says about us.”
That song holds both of his worlds now: the friend who wrote it and the uniform he still wears. On that stage, it took a room full of fans to help him carry it to the end.