Liberty University and America’s Got Talent winner Kodi Lee performed a stirring tribute to Truett Foster McKeehan—son of Christian rapper TobyMac—who died suddenly last week at 21 years of age. Liberty and Lee helped finish and perform an unfinished song originally written by McKeehan, an aspiring rapper.
David Nasser, senior vice president for spiritual development at Liberty University, introduced the performance at Friday’s Convocation meeting. He provided the background behind Lee’s performance.
“I was just texting Toby yesterday, and it dawned on me that one of the songs—the last time he was here at Convocation—that he had allowed me and Kevin to listen to on the back deck of my house at lunch was a song that his son as an artist was beginning to develop and work,” Nasser says. “And so literally this morning, just in honor and in memory of Truett, I asked Sal if he would let Kodi and him listen to it just for a few minutes. I kid you not—they listened to it [and] in about two minutes, they began to just compose something. So they’re going to use it as an introduction of a bigger song that really is the hope in a moment like this. So if Amanda [and] Toby, if you’re watching, your Liberty family is with you. We’re praying for you. We mourn for you. But here’s the good news in all of this tragedy. We know that this is not an ultimate goodbye. We know that Truett belongs to the Lord, and that he’s ultimately healed and he’s in heaven.”
Lee, a blind and autistic musician who won the 14th season of America’s Got Talent, performed McKeehan’s song. He then segued into a cover of MercyMe’s “I Can Only Imagine.”
Watch the video of his performance here.
