BLAKE SHELTON WAS LEFT DEVASTATED AFTER HEARING THE NEWS THAT HIS FRIEND KYLE BUSCH HAD PASSED AWAY. When the heartbreaking news reached Blake Shelton, it was more than just another celebrity tribute. It was personal. The country star said he was “shocked and sad” after learning that Kyle Busch had passed away, remembering that he first met the NASCAR champion when Kyle was only 20 years old.

After news broke of two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch’s death on Thursday, May 21, scores of fans and friends took to social media to express their grief. That included country music stars like five-time Entertainer of the Year Blake Shelton.

“What a Legend”: Blake Shelton, Others Remember Kyle Busch

“Man I am so shocked to hear about Kyle Busch passing away,” wrote the “Ol’ Red” singer on X/Twitter. “First met him when he was 20 years old. What a legend. Prayers to his family.”

Blake Shelton wasn’t the only country singer who took time to pay tribute to Kyle Busch. On his Instagram Stories, Dierks Bentley revealed that he had just seen Busch and his wife, Samantha, two weeks earlier.

The “What Was I Thinkin’” singer shared two photos. One showed him posing with Busch and his wife. In the other, the two are men smiling and chatting.

“Just a couple of dads talking about their kids,” wrote Bentley, 50.

What Happened to Kyle Busch?

NASCAR announced the death of “one of our sport’s greatest and fiercest drivers” on Thursday (May 21).

Earlier that day, Kyle Busch’s family announced that the racing legend had been hospitalized with a sudden and severe illness ahead of Sunday’s (May 24) Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He died hours later at a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Busch, who celebrated his 41st birthday on May 2, was also set to compete in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 this weekend. He had to withdraw from both races due to his illness.

Busch’s family has not yet disclosed a cause of death. However, the Las Vegas native was rushed to a Charlotte hospital on Wednesday (May 20) after he became unresponsive during a testing run in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina, the Associated Press reports.

During a May 10 race at Watkins Glen, Busch radioed his team requesting a “shot” from a doctor after he finished.

Per the TV broadcast, the father of two had been battling a sinus cold. The intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course only exacerbated it.

It’s unclear if that illness was related to his death.

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