Fact Check: Jason Aldean Said Garth Brooks Was ‘Absolutely Not Welcome’ at Toby Keith’s Vigil?

Jason Aldean has said that Garth Brooks was not welcome at a candlelight vigil organized in honor of Toby Keith, who passed away on Feb. 5.

While Aldean has enjoyed widespread support from conservative fans for his music video “Try That in a Small Town,” Brooks continues to face backlash for serving Bud Light beer at his bar in Nashville when the beer brand was boycotted for working with transgender TikToker Dylan Mulvaney.

The Dunning-Kruger Times posted the claim on their Facebook, where it received more than 34,000 reactions and 5,700 comments. “I agree. Garth Brooks is all about himself,” one of the most reacted-to comments read.

The article began:

Jason Aldean says Garth Brooks is “Absolutely Not Welcome” at the Candlelight Vigil for Toby Keith

When he heard Toby Keith had passed, Jason Aldean immediately began organizing a candlelight vigil and sing along in his memory.

“The first thing I thought about was honoring Toby,” said Aldean, “I couldn’t believe it when Brooks called and asked if he could play. He said he didn’t know any of Toby’s songs but that he’s be happy to bust out Achy Breaky Heart in his honor.

Aldean says the request was so bizarre that he thought maybe Garth was trolling him, but alas, he was serious.

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We’ve previously debunked other rumors about Aldean and Brooks generated by the Dunning-Kruger Times, such as that Aldean launched his own music channel in November 2023, and that Brooks was kicked out of Keith’s tribute show in February 2024.