After the tragic assassination of beloved conservative icon Charlie Kirk, country singer Jason Aldean paid tribute to the slain activist at a September 11, 2025, concert in Detroit. During this concert, he called Kirk “one of the best people ever,” and emphasized his bravery and patriotism.
For context, Aldean dedicated his classic song “Try That in a Small Town” to Kirk, who, according to the singer, loved the tune. Additionally, he noted Kirk’s lasting legacy through Turning Point USA and vowed that his work would continue.
In any case, Jason Aldean began his remarks by announcing the assassination of Kirk. He stated, “An amazing person by the name of Charlie Kirk was murdered yesterday in Utah. One of the best people ever. This is not the guy you go after, is what I’m trying to say.”
Contextualizing his remarks, Aldean stated, “And it’s a weird country that we live in when you start taking people out because you disagree with their opinions. That’s not what we’re about here.” Pivoting, he remembered Kirk’s reaction to his song “Try That in a Small Town.”
Building on this point, Aldean said, “I remember when we put this song out, people like Charlie Kirk were some of the first people to come up and go, ‘That’s what it’s about. This country coming together, calling out the bulls— when we see it, trying to get everything back on track.'”
Continuing his eulogy of Kirk, he noted, “This guy wanted nothing more than what was best for all of us, and for our kids moving forward. Charlie is a guy that’s going to be very, very much missed, and this is something that his legacy is going to live on forever with Turning Point [USA], and what he’s done with only 31 years on this planet, it’s amazing.”
Additionally, the country star took to social media to offer more thoughts on the slaying. He posted. “Charlie Kirk was one of the kindest, smartest, and bravest people I’ve ever met. I’m honored to have met and spoken with him on a few occasions. He was a man of peace and wanted nothing but the best for our country and its youth. We might have lost Charlie today, but what he has done will live on forever. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, kids, and the entire Kirk family.”
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Previously, in 2023, Jason Aldean spoke to Fox News Digital about his song “Try That in a Small Town.” Explaining why this song resonated with conservatives, he stated, “I just think there’s a lot of people out there that just want to go to work and come home, raise their kids, feel comfortable about sending their kids to school and knowing that they’re going to come home. Or let their kids go to a movie on a weekend and not worry about something crazy happening to them in the parking lot or inside a movie theater.”
Watch the clip here:
Concluding his remarks, Aldean said, “It’s just we’re kind of living in the Wild West right now, and I think people are just kind of tired of it. There’s just constant chaos and something going on. Somebody is always pissed off about something, and it’s just one of those songs where there’s a lot of people that could relate to that because they’re just sick of it.” – Jason Aldean (to Fox News Digital in 2023, about his song “Try That in a Small Town”).