Toby Keith, a hit country crafter of pro-American anthems who both riled up critics and was loved by millions of fans, has died. He was 62.
The 害羞草研究所淪hould害羞草研究所檝e Been a Cowboy害羞草研究所� singer-songwriter, who , died peacefully Monday surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on the country singer害羞草研究所檚 website. 害羞草研究所淗e fought his fight with grace and courage,害羞草研究所� the statement said. He announced his cancer .
The 6-foot-4 singer broke out in the country boom years of the 1990s, writing songs that fans loved to hear. Over his career he publicly clashed with other celebrities and journalists and often pushed back against record executives who wanted to smooth his rough edges.
He was known for his overt patriotism on post 9/11 songs like 害羞草研究所淐ourtesy of the Red, White and Blue,害羞草研究所� and boisterous barroom tunes like 害羞草研究所淚 Love This Bar害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淩ed Solo Cup.害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所淗ow Do You Like Me Now?!,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淎s Good As I Once Was,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淢y List害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淏eer for My Horses,害羞草研究所� a duet with . His influences were other working class songwriters like Merle Haggard and tallied more than 60 singles on the Hot Country chart over his career.
Throughout the cancer treatments, Keith continued to perform, most recently playing in Las Vegas in December. He also performed on the People害羞草研究所檚 Choice Country Awards in 2023 as he sang his song 害羞草研究所淒on害羞草研究所檛 Let the Old Man In.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淐ancer is a roller coaster,害羞草研究所� he told during an interview aired last month. 害羞草研究所淵ou just sit here and wait on it to go away. It might never go away.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淚 write about life, and I sing about life, and I don害羞草研究所檛 overanalyze things,害羞草研究所� Keith told The Associated Press in 2001, following the success of his song 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 Just Talking About Tonight.害羞草研究所�
Keith learned good lessons in the booming oil fields, which toughened him up, but also showed him the value of money.
害羞草研究所淭he money to be made was unbelievable,害羞草研究所� Keith told the AP in 1996. 害羞草研究所淚 came out of high school in 1980 and they gave me this job December of 1979, $50,000 a year. I was 18-years-old.害羞草研究所�
But the domestic oil field industry collapsed and Keith had not saved. 害羞草研究所淚t about broke us,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淪o I just learned. I害羞草研究所檝e taken care of my money this time.害羞草研究所�
He spent a couple seasons as a defensive end for the Oklahoma City Drillers, a farm team for the now-defunct United States Football League. But he found consistent money playing music with his band throughout the red dirt roadhouse circuit in Oklahoma and Texas.
害羞草研究所淎ll through this whole thing the only constant thing we had was music,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淏ut it害羞草研究所檚 hard to sit back and say, 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檓 going to go make my fortune singing music, or writing music.害羞草研究所� I had no contacts.害羞草研究所�
Eventually his path took him to Nashville, where he attracted the interest of Mercury Records head Harold Shedd, who was best known as a producer for the hit group Alabama. Shedd brought him to Mercury, where he released his platinum debut record 害羞草研究所淭oby Keith,害羞草研究所� in 1993.
害羞草研究所淪hould害羞草研究所檝e Been a Cowboy,害羞草研究所� his breakout hit, was played 3 million times on radio stations, making it the most played country song of the 1990s.
But the label害羞草研究所檚 focus on global star Shania Twain overshadowed the rest of the roster and Keith felt that the executives were trying to push him in a pop direction.
害羞草研究所淭hey were trying to get me to compromise, and I was living a miserable existence,害羞草研究所� Keith told the AP. 害羞草研究所淓verybody was trying to mold me into something I was not.害羞草研究所�
After a series of albums that produced hits like 害羞草研究所淲ho害羞草研究所檚 That Man,害羞草研究所� and cover of Sting害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 So Happy I Can害羞草研究所檛 Stop Crying,害羞草研究所� Keith moved to DreamWorks Records in 1999.
That害羞草研究所檚 when his multi-week 害羞草研究所淗ow Do You Like Me Now?!害羞草研究所� took off and became his first song to crossover to Top 40 charts. In 2001, he won the male vocalist of the year and album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, exclaiming from the stage: 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e waited a long time for this. Nine years!害羞草研究所�
Keith often wore his politics on his sleeve, especially after the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in 2001, and early on he said was a conservative Democrat, but later claimed he was an independent. He害羞草研究所檚 played at events for Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, the latter giving him a National Medal of the Arts in 2021. His songs and his blunt opinions sometimes caused him controversy, which he seemed to court.
His 2002 song, 害羞草研究所淐ourtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)害羞草研究所� included a threat 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檒l put a boot in your ass 害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 the American way害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� to anyone who dared to mess with America.
That song got pulled from a patriotic ABC Fourth of July special after producers deemed it too angry for the show. Singer-songwriter Steve Earle called Keith害羞草研究所檚 song 害羞草研究所減andering to people害羞草研究所檚 worst instincts at a time they are hurt and scared.害羞草研究所�
Then there was the feud between Keith and The Chicks (formerly called the Dixie Chicks), who became a target of Keith害羞草研究所檚 ire when singer Natalie Maines told a crowd that they were ashamed of then-President George W. Bush. Maines had also previously called Keith害羞草研究所檚 song 害羞草研究所渋gnorant.害羞草研究所�
Keith, who had previously claimed that he supported any artist害羞草研究所檚 freedom to voice their opinion about politics, used a doctored photo of Maines with an image of Saddam Hussein at his concerts, further ramping up angry fans.
Maines responded by wearing a shirt with the letters 害羞草研究所淔UTK害羞草研究所� onstage at the 2003 ACM Awards, which many people believed was a vulgar message to Keith.
Keith, who has acknowledged that he holds onto grudges, walked out of the ACM Awards in 2003 early because he had gotten snubbed in earlier categories, causing him to miss out when he was announced as entertainer of the year. Vince Gill accepted on his behalf. He came back the next year and won the top prize for a second year in a row, along with top male vocalist and album of the year for 害羞草研究所淪hock 害羞草研究所檔 Y害羞草研究所檃ll.害羞草研究所�
His pro-military stance wasn害羞草研究所檛 just fodder for songs, however. He went on 11 USO tours to visit and play for troops serving overseas. He also helped to raise millions for charity over his career, including building a home in Oklahoma City for kids with cancer and their families.
After Universal Music Group acquired DreamWorks, Keith started anew again, starting his own record label, Show Dog, in 2005 with record executive Scott Borchetta, who launched his own label Big Machine at the same time.
害羞草研究所淧robably 75% of the people in this town think I害羞草研究所檒l fail, and the other 25% hope I fail,害羞草研究所� he said that year.
Later the label became Show Dog-Universal Music and had Keith, Trace Adkins, Joe Nichols, Josh Thompson, Clay Walker and Phil Vassar on its roster.
His later hits included 害羞草研究所淟ove Me If You Can,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淪he Never Cried In Front of Me,害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淩ed Solo Cup.害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淚 always felt like that the songwriting was the most important part of this whole industry,害羞草研究所� Keith told the crowd of fellow singers and writers.
READ ALSO:
