Apple Music Releases “Lost”

Demo of “End Of The Night,”

Written And Performed by Toby Keith

Alongside Writers Bobby Pinson And David Lee Murphy

The Release Followed by First “Found” Song

From Lost & Found Season 2

– “End Of The Night” Recorded by Ernest

Lost & Found spotlights unreleased tracks, written by some of the best songwriters in Nashville and re-recorded by today’s biggest artists

Newly produced songs will be available in Spatial Audio, exclusively on Apple Music

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Rounding out launch week for season two of Lost & Found, an exciting Apple Music program that puts the spotlight on Nashville songwriters by showcasing some of the best country tracks that were never released, Apple Music releases the first “Found” track – “End Of The Night” recorded by ERNEST, available exclusively on Apple Music now.

“It’s cool to hear how raw [the demo] was and how much energy and power and torque,” said ERNEST of the original recording. “To the day he died, [Toby Keith] sang with everything. It’s an honor and a duty as country singers to keep the spirit alive of those who went on before us. I think it is what makes country music great.

We live in the greatest city for songwriting of all time, so there are an endless amount of songs,” ERNEST continued. “Every now and then, you get to pull a little diamond out of there and a little piece of history, and this is no exception. I’ll never be able to sing a Toby Keith song as good as Toby Keith can sing a Toby Keith song, but I’m gonna give it hell to sing it the best I can for sure.”

Lost & Found offers unprecedented access into the world of country songwriting, releasing the original demo tracks (“Lost”) followed by their newly recorded, star-studded counterparts (“Found”). Every month will bring a new song from the vault, with the season kicking off with “End Of The Night.” The “Lost” demo released earlier this week, featuring the original recording from award-winning songwriters Toby Keith, Bobby Pinson and David Lee Murphy, written over a decade ago in August 2015. With Lost & Found, Apple Music mines the vaults and pairs tracks with pitch-perfect rising or established artists to record official single releases, in incredible Spatial Audio.

ERNEST joins Today’s Country Radio today on Apple Music Country to talk about his version of “End Of The Night.”

Lost & Found has its own dedicated space on Apple Music where listeners can find playlists for the “Lost” demos, the newfound singles, the Lost & Found Radio show episodes and more playlists from the participating songwriters.

Check out the Lost & Found space HERE. Listen to ERNEST’s interview on Today’s Country Radio live for free today at 7am PT / 9am CT on Apple Music Country, or anytime on demand with a subscription HERE.

Photo Courtesy of Apple Music | Download photos here

  About Toby Keith

Bursting on to the country music scene with his solo-penned first single “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” Toby Keith began stacking hits through a succession of label permutations, all of which built to the Sept. 1, 2005 launch of his own label, Show Dog Nashville. Keith released 14 albums during that final phase of his career, cementing his place as one of the most prolific self-directed creative forces in country’s modern era. All in, Keith amassed 42 top 10 hits, 33 No. 1s, more than 44+ million albums sold, 100+ million BMI performances, and more than 10+ billion streams largely on the strength of his own songwriting and producing. He was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame shortly before his passing in February. Among his many accomplishments, the New York based all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame (2015), the National Medal of Arts (2021), the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (2021), and BMI Icon (2022) were his most treasured.

Toby is one of four artists to top the all-genre album chart while active and posthumously, joining Michael Jackson, John Lennon and Elvis Presley. He skyrocketed back to the Top in 2025 with his song, “Courtesy of the Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)” hitting No. 1 in July and driving his 35 Biggest Hits back to the Top 10.

At the core of Toby’s unparalleled success is his songwriting, which has powered an astounding succession of hit songs. With his accomplishments as a multi-award winning songwriter-artist, Keith has joined an impressive list of Country legends, including Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson,  and Hank Williams, Jr., as well as multi-genre royalty Stevie Nicks, Little Richard, Patti Labelle, James Brown, and more.

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