In September 2025, Charlie Kirk‘s death shocked the world. And while the 31-year-old conservative commentator may not have been a part of the country genre, the outpouring of tributes and remembrances made it clear that Kirk was important to many in country music.
Who Was Charlie Kirk?
- Charlie Kirk was a podcaster and a right-wing political commentator.
- He founded the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, and a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.
- He was married to Erika Kirk, who became the CEO and chairwoman of Turning Point USA following his death.
- The couple shared two young children.
How Did Charlie Kirk Die?
Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, at a Turning Point speaking engagement at Utah Valley University.
Approximately 3,000 eventgoers were present when Kirk was fatally shot in the neck by a sniper positioned on a nearby building. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was 31 years old.
A 22-year-old man named Tyler Robinson has been arrested and charged with capital murder. Prosecutors say they plan to seek the death penalty.
What Was the Public Response to Charlie Kirk’s Death?
Kirk’s death prompted widespread mourning, national gatherings and vigils in his honor.
It also exacerbated tensions across political divides. Some people were fired from their jobs for allegedly celebrating his death in social media posts.
President Trump shared a glowing remembrance of Kirk — and posthumously awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom — but he also blamed the “radical left” for inciting “political violence” in the wake of Kirk’s death.
READ MORE: 14 Powerful Pictures From Charlie Kirk’s Memorial in Arizona
In the country world, many artists shared remembrances and expressed sadness over Kirk’s assassination. Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany were at the forefront of those, and they attended Kirk’s memorial service.
Kane Brown was among the first to publicly share sadness over Kirk’s death, but he quickly began receiving bitter blowback over his posts. So much so, in fact, that the singer took a brief break from social media.
READ MORE: Kane Brown Attacked Online Over Charlie Kirk Posts
Kirk’s story, message and death left a lasting imprint on the country world. When Turning Point held its own “halftime show” in protest of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime set, it was largely a country bill: Kid Rock, Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert and Gabby Barrett all performed.
Even outside of that official overlap between country music and Kirk, several artists took musical inspiration from his story. In the months that passed after he died, many shared tributes, offered poignant covers and even wrote their own original songs in his honor.
Keep reading for a rundown of the biggest musical tributes to Charlie Kirk that the country genre has released over the past year.
No. 1: Lee Brice, “When the Kingdom Comes” (Performance)
Lee Brice’s “When the Kingdom Comes” wasn’t written explicitly with Kirk in mind: The singer co-wrote it with his wife Sara, as well as Jon Stone and Billy Montana for his 2026 Sunriser album. But in the days after Kirk died, he couldn’t help but connect the song’s spiritual message to Kirk’s legacy, and he performed it as a tribute.
No. 2: John Schneider, “Charlie’s Words”
Former Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider is also a country singer, and after Kirk died, he released “Charlie’s Words” as a “battle cry” for what the late political figure stood for.
“I think we’ve already been called to action,” he said in a Fox News Digital interview around the time the song came out. “I think this song is certainly a tribute to a wonderful guy. It’s a song for those who’ve already been called to action. So now it’s kind of a battle cry.”
No. 3: Kid Rock, “‘Til You Can’t” (Cody Johnson Cover)
Kid Rock didn’t just cover Cody Johnson’s mega-hit “‘Til You Can’t” — he added an additional verse, inspired by Charlie Kirk himself. That verse is about faith, and reminds fans how much they’ll get out of finding a relationship with God while they’re here on Earth.
READ MORE: Here’s Why Kid Rock Sang Cody Johnson’s “‘Til You Can’t” at the Turning Point Halftime Show
Kid performed the song as a headliner at the Turning Point USA halftime show in 2026, and his rendition was an earnest and gripping ballad — hardly the kind of fare that casual fans expect from the “Bawitdaba” singer. That speaks to the quality of the song, Kid’s underrated versatility and the emotion that Kirk’s life and death inspired.
No. 4: Jason Aldean + Brittany Aldean, “Drink a Beer” (Luke Bryan Cover)
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Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany were two of Charlie Kirk’s most vocal mourners in the country genre. His death inspired them to finally do something that fans had been begging them to do for years: Sing a song together.
That song was a tender, filmed-at-home cover of Luke Bryan‘s “Drink a Beer,” a 2013 hit about quietly mourning the loss of a loved one. It also hinted at the possibility of what eventually turned out to be their studio-recorded duet, “Easier Gone,” which Aldean included on his 2026 Songs About Us album.
No. 5: Diesel, “How Dare They (For Charlie)”
Daryl Johnson, aka Diesel, was a relatively unknown artist prior to September 2025. But this emotional, angry response to Kirk’s death made it to No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart, according to Rolling Stone. “How Dare They” is about grief, but it also pointed bitter accusations at the political left with lyrics like “They call us evil / Point at our cross / Then pull that trigger and reckon no cost.”
No. 6: Jesse Welles, “Charlie”
From the other side of the political spectrum came a contribution from folk singer Jesse Welles, who argued that “Charlie shouldn’t have died” — even though Welles seems to deeply disagree with the political messages Kirk stood for.
In “Charlie,” Welles emphasized the importance of free speech, no matter what, and pointed out that everyone loses out when we celebrate another person’s untimely death.
No. 7: Cole Swindell, “Make Heaven Crowded”
Cole Swindell says he was inspired to write “Make Heaven Crowded” after hearing this speech from Kirk’s widow, Erika. The song’s about more than just Charlie, though: The lyrics imagine a world where everyone paid a little bit more attention to God and living the way the Bible tells us to.
No. 8: Jeff Bates, “Good Man Going Home”
Country singer Jeff Bates says he “cried like a baby” when he heard the news that Charlie Kirk had died, but he knew exactly where the 31-year-old was headed: Heaven.
That’s what inspired him to write “Good Man Going Home,” which he did quickly in the aftermath of Kirk’s death. Within a month, the song — and its message of setting aside political differences in the wake of tragedy — was out in the world.
No. 9: Jason Aldean, “Try That in a Small Town” (Performance)
“Try That in a Small Town” wasn’t written about Kirk — it came out two years before he died — but its message was pretty fitting for the way Aldean felt about those who celebrated Kirk’s death. He sang his vengeance anthem at a show in Detroit the night after Charlie Kirk died.
No. 10: Sammy Hager, “Are the Good Times Really Over” (Merle Haggard Cover)
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Sammy Hager, aka the Red Rocker, picked a Merle Haggard song to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk. Hager tipped his hat to the late commentator, but the bulk of his performance looked at the broader state of the nation, and wondered if our political divisions have gone past the point of no return.
Remembering the Country Stars Who Died in 2026
So far in 2026, country fans have mourned the deaths of country legends and other large-looming figures of pop culture. Keep reading to remember the singers, musicians, actors and other notable figures we’ve lost this year.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
