Country singer Toby Keith dies after battle with cancer
Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th
Keith, who was battling stomach cancer, passed peacefully on Monday surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on the country singer’s website. “He fought his fight with grace and courage,” the statement said. He was diagnosed in 2022.
He was known for his overt patriotism on post 9/11 songs like “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” and boisterous barroom tunes like “I Love This Bar” and “Red Solo Cup.” He had a powerful booming voice, a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and range that carried love songs as well as drinking songs.
Among his 20 No. 1 Billboard hits were “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “As Good As I Once Was,” “My List” and “Beer for My Horses,” a duet with Willie Nelson.
Keith worked as a roughneck in the oil fields of Oklahoma as a young man, then played semi-pro football before launching his career as a singer.
“I write about life, and I sing about life, and I don’t overanalyze things,” Keith told The Associated Press in 2001, following the success of his song “I’m Just Talking About Tonight.”
Keith learned good lessons in the booming oil fields, which toughened him up, but also showed him the value of money.
Toby Keith was an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with over 40 million albums sold worldwide. In 2003, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified him as the top-selling solo male artist in American country music history, exceeding 42 million albums sold in the United States alone.
He also publicly called out actor Ethan Hawke, who had written a story in “Rolling Stone” that described an argument between Kris Kristofferson and an unnamed country star that sounded a lot like Keith. During a backstage press conference during an awards show, Keith was furious at Hawke (and reporters for repeating the story) for what he called a “fictitious (expletive) lie.”
His later hits included “Love Me If You Can,” “She Never Cried In Front of Me,” and “Red Solo Cup.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.
He was honored by the performance rights organization BMI in November 2022 with the BMI Icon award, a few months after announcing his stomach cancer diagnosis.
Keith was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, on October 5, 1961. He grew up in Moore, Oklahoma, where he developed a love for music. He began playing guitar at the age of eight and started writing songs in his teens. After graduating from high school, he attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he played college football. However, he eventually dropped out of college to pursue a career in music.
In 1984, Keith moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he began working as a songwriter. He eventually landed a songwriting deal with EMI-Music Publishing. In 1993, he released his debut album, “Toby Keith.” The album was a critical and commercial success, and it spawned the hit singles “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “A Little Less Talk.”
Keith went on to release a string of successful albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including “Dream Walkin'” (1995), “Pull Away” (1996), and “How Do You Like Me Now?!” (2000). He also toured extensively and became one of the most popular country music artists in the world.
In addition to his music career, Keith also acted in a number of films, including “Broken Lance” (1994), “Beer for My Horses” (2008), and “Last Man Standing” (2011). He also owned a number of businesses, including a restaurant chain and a clothing line.