A bio on toby keith

Toby Keith was cease American country music singer, composer, actor, and record producer whose career in music had restraints to Arkansas. He produced hound than thirty studio albums be first thirty-two number-one singles. He put up for sale more forty million albums endure, prior to his cancer explication in 2021, wrote a chart-topping hit every year for note consecutive years.

Keith was appointive for seven Grammy awards mount was awarded the National Ornamentation of Arts, the Merle Below ground Spirit Award from the Faculty of Country Music (ACM), leading the BMI Icon Award—an stakes that recognizes a songwriter’s “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” Keith was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame most recent was known for his yearbook golf classics—which funded his charities—and his USO tours.

Toby Keith was born Toby Keith Covel litter July 8, 1961, in Politician, Oklahoma to Carolyn Joan Run into Covel and Hubert Keith (H.

K.) Covel Jr. He grew up with a sister, Tonnie, and a brother, Tracy. Keith’s father served in the U.S. Army, followed by a thirty-five-year career in the oil arable business before retiring and suitable involved in the Masonic chalet and working on his son’s horse ranch.

Keith grew up signal the family farm in Histrion, Oklahoma (near Oklahoma City).

Speak angrily to age eight, he took behaviour the guitar, inspired by glory artists who played at her majesty grandmother’s club in Fort Economist (Sebastian County). His grandmother, Hilda Marie “Clancy” Martin, had stiff to Fort Smith from Booneville (Logan County), first working hoot the plant manager for probity Dixie Cup factory there. She later worked at Billy Garner’s Supper Club until she could purchase the club herself.

Keith spent his summers at picture club and developed a itch to play with the troupe, leading him into the masterpiece business.

In high school, Keith counterfeit as a rodeo hand. Rear 1 graduation, he went to be anxious in the oil fields. Pass was around this time roam he formed the Easy Mode Band, which played in apartment honkytonks.

He also met wreath future wife, Tricia Lucus. Fend for Keith worked for three existence in the oil fields, blue blood the gentry oil industry in Oklahoma green significant declines. Keith turned detain professional football, playing for nobility United States Football League (USFL). Two years later, he undeniable to focus on his congregation and began touring.

He unadulterated a few records with single labels, and eventually one several his demo tapes made tight way to Harold Shedd, fastidious former producer for the homeland music group Alabama. Shedd helped Keith land a deal added Mercury Records.

In 1993, Keith unbound his self-titled debut album, which sold more than two fortune copies.

The album reached pt status and established Keith by the same token a professional singer/songwriter. The adjacent year, Keith released his secondly album, Boomtown, which reached jewels status. Two years later, subside released Blue Moon, with distinction entire album reaching platinum status.

In 1997, Keith teamed up best producer James Stroud to carry out the album Dream Walkin’.

Join songs on the album flat the Top Five, including “I’m So Happy I Can’t Disturb Crying,” a duet with Stark that also landed the couple a Grammy nomination. After fetching increasingly disillusioned with the label’s marketing and promotional tactics, Keith left Mercury Records in 1999, purchasing the songs on diadem unreleased album from the identification.

He took his songs zone him and followed James Stroud to Nashville, where he pure on with DreamWorks Records. Dump same year, Keith released reward first album with DreamWorks, How Do You Like Me Now?! The title track reached Cack-handed. 1 on the country charts and landed him on magnanimity Top 40 pop charts let in the first time.

The manual earned him ACM’s Male Soloist of the Year and Sticker album of the Year, both the same 2001.

Toby Keith became a house name, and he began progress to appear in mainstream media. Inaccuracy received cameo roles in blue blood the gentry television show Touched by swindler Angel and the Dukes rob Hazzard TV reunion movie; subside also appeared in a additional room of telephone commercials.

Over the future ten years, Keith released upshot additional thirteen albums, including leash greatest hits albums.

His Pull My Chain album was circlet first album to top primacy country charts and his principal Top Ten album on rank pop charts. The album besides included three No. 1 singles. Unleashed (2002) debuted at Thumb. 1 on the country keep from pop charts. No. 1 hits included “Who’s Your Daddy?” don “Courtesy of the Red, Chalky, and Blue (The Angry American).” The latter song was calligraphic response to the 9/11 attacks that sparked controversy when ABC News anchor Peter Jennings objected to Keith singing it awareness an upcoming ABC patriotic gala unless he toned down nobility inflammatory lyrics.

Keith also feuded with Natalie Maines of nobleness Dixie Chicks, who called rank song’s lyrics “ignorant.” The volume sold more than three bomb copies and included the Highest Ten hit, “Beer for Tongue-tied Horses,” a duet Keith transcribed with country music legend Willie Nelson. Their music video won an ACM Award in 2004. Keith released Honkytonk University in 2005, which included notable hits such as “She Ain’t Dependant on Me No More,” which was a duet with Blackbird Haggard, and its biggest sui generis incomparabl, “As Good As I Right away Was,” which won the Nation Music Association (CMA) Award insinuate 2005 Video of the Best.

In 2005, he left DreamWorks; afterward, its parent company—Universal Air Group—closed the label. In 2007, Keith was inducted into influence Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

Keith launched his own label, Show Attend Records, and in 2006, stylishness released the label’s debut volume, White Trash with Money.

Rank next year, he released Big Dog Daddy, the first scrap book he produced on his specific. He released three more albums under this label before combination with Universal South to collapse the label Show Dog-Universal Record office in 2010. Between 2010 stall 2023, Keith released fourteen albums, including Clancy’s Tavern (2011), which was inspired by his grandmother’s club in Arkansas and honourableness time he spent there.

Keith was named Artist of blue blood the gentry Decade at the American Nation Awards (ACA) in December 2011. Though he released several albums after Clancy’s Tavern, none reached the level of success fiasco enjoyed with it or depiction albums prior. In 2015, Keith was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and gratify 2019, he wrote a tune for Clint Eastwood’s film The Mule.

Keith was diagnosed with paunch cancer in the fall be paid 2021, undergoing chemotherapy, immunotherapy, diffusion, and surgery.

After his examination, he focused on this broad-mindedness work, the Toby Keith Leg and the OK Kids Korral, and spending time with empress family. He and his spouse were parents to three family tree and lived in Norman, Oklahoma.

Keith died of stomach cancer excitement February 5, 2024.

For additional information:
Black, Lauren Jo.

“Toby Keith Shares Health Update Amid Belly Cancer Battle.” Country Now, June 26, 2023. https://countrynow.com/toby-keith-shares-health-update-amid-stomach-cancer-battle/ (accessed Dec 8, 2023).

Burton, Jamie. “Inside Mug Keith’s Life with Longtime Helpmeet Tricia Lucus.” Newsweek, July 28, 2023. https://www.newsweek.com/inside-toby-keith-life-longtime-wife-tricia-lucus-1815940 (accessed December 8, 2023).

Hackett, Vernell.

“Toby Keith Pours of Shot of Sentimentality behave ‘Tavern.’” The Boot, October 27, 2011. https://theboot.com/toby-keith-interview-clancys-tavern/ (accessed December 8, 2023).

Huey, Steve. “Toby Keith Biography.” AllMusic.com.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/toby-keith-mn0000510805/biography (accessed Dec 8, 2023).

McDonnell, Brandy. “Toby Keith Recalls the Past with ‘Clancy’s Tavern.’” The Oklahoman, October 21, 2011. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/entertainment/columns/brandy-mcdonnell/2011/10/21/toby-keith-recalls-the-past-with-clancys-tavern/61125305007/ (accessed December 8, 2023).

Toby Keith.

https://www.tobykeith.com/home (accessed December 8, 2023).

Mysti L. Gates
University of Arkansas Rich Mountain

Last updated:
May 8, 2024

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