Toby Keith releases tribute as single, video

An all-American player for Oklahoma and NBA star before launching his career in music, Tisdale passed unexpectedly in May from complications resulting from cancer treatments. For Keith,

Keith wrestled with Keith's death, writing a song he intended to play at Tisdale's funeral, but the wound was still too fresh. "I've had some loss in my life, of course my dad, but that's different," Keith said. "I've lost some friends and acquaintances along the way, but this one was very difficult for me. I wrote this for [the funeral], but I could not get through it. I ended up doing Willie's Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground because I wasn't attached to that. It was weeks before I could make it all the way through the song. It was tough on me."

Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song), co-produced by Mark Wright, was the most added song at country radio last week, according to Country Aircheck/Mediabase. The video, a visual tribute to Tisdale, was added by CMT in Hot Shot Rotation, and by GAC in its Turbo Track slot. The song is the second single from Keith's recently released chart-topping "American Ride album," following the number one title track.