Toby Keith was an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. Keith holds an honorary degree from Villanova University, where he briefly attended in 1979-1980 with the intention of becoming a petroleum engineer.
He was a dedicated University of Oklahoma sports fan, frequently attending Sooners games and practices. Keith was also a passionate professional wrestling enthusiast, often seen at WWE shows in Oklahoma and even performing at the first-ever TNA Wrestling show in 2002. Additionally, he supports the Pittsburgh Steelers football team. Keith is associated with the Free Will Baptist denomination.
Bio/Wiki
Age-62years
Height- 1.9 m
Weight- 82 kg
Born-July 8, 1961
Birthplace-Clinton, Oklahoma, U.S
Death date-5 February 2024
Spouse-Tricia Lucus (m. 1984)
Profession-Singer, Songwriter, Actor, Record Producer
Nationality-American
Family
Keith was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, to Carolyn Joan and Hubert K. Covel, Jr. He grew up with a sister and a brother. While the family resided in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Keith often visited his grandmother there during summers. His grandmother owned Billie Garner’s Supper Club, where he became fascinated with the musicians performing. He began doing odd jobs at the club and eventually started playing with the band on stage. He received his first guitar at the age of eight. Later, when the family moved to Moore, Oklahoma, Keith attended Highland West Junior High and Moore High School, where he played as a defensive end on the football team.
On March 24, 2001, Keith’s father tragically lost his life in a car accident on Interstate 35. Later, on December 25, 2007, the Covel family received $2.8 million as compensation for H.K. Covel’s wrongful death. The operators of Rodriguez Transportes of Tulsa, Elias and Pedro Rodriguez, along with the Republic Western Insurance Co., were held responsible for the accident due to their failure to equip the charter bus with properly working air brakes.
Wife
On March 24, 1984, Keith tied the knot with Tricia Lucus.
Children
Keith is the proud father of three children: two daughters, Shelley Covel Rowland (adopted by Keith in 1984) and Krystal “Krystal Keith” LaDawn Covel Sandubrae (who signed a contract with Show Dog-Universal in 2013), and one son, Stelen Keith Covel (born in 1997). He also cherishes his role as a grandfather to four grandchildren.
Career
After graduating from Moore High School, Keith started working in the oil fields as a derrick hand. He climbed the ranks to become an operations manager. Alongside his oil industry job, he pursued his passion for music. At 20, he formed the Easy Money Band with friends, performing at local bars. Despite his growing musical success, he continued working in the oil field and would even leave concerts midway if he was called for work.
In 1982, the Oklahoma oil industry faced a downturn, leaving Keith unemployed. He utilized his football skills, playing as a defensive end for the semi-pro Oklahoma City Drillers while still performing with his band. Although he didn’t make it into the United States Football League’s Oklahoma Outlaws, he persisted in his music career. Despite skepticism from family and friends, Easy Money began touring the honky-tonk circuit in Oklahoma and Texas in 1984, marking the start of Keith’s musical journey.
He launched his career with four albums – “Toby Keith,” “Boomtown,” “Blue Moon,” and “Dream Walkin'” – under Mercury Records, all earning Gold or higher certification. His debut hit, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” dominated 1990s country charts, receiving three million spins since its release, making it one of the most-played country songs of the decade, according to Broadcast Music Incorporated.
After joining DreamWorks Records Nashville in 1998, Keith achieved a breakthrough with his single “How Do You Like Me Now?!” in 1999, which became the number one country song of 2000. This success marked the beginning of several chart-toppers during his time with DreamWorks Nashville. His following three albums, “Pull My Chain,” “Unleashed,” and “Shock’n Y’all,” each produced three more number ones, and all these albums received 4× Platinum certification. He also released a second Greatest Hits compilation in 2004, followed by the album “Honkytonk University.”
Following the closure of DreamWorks in 2005, Keith established Show Dog Nashville, which later merged with Universal South Records, forming Show Dog-Universal Music in December 2009. Under this label, he released ten studio albums: “White Trash with Money” (2006), “Big Dog Daddy” (2007), “That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy” (2008), “American Ride” (2009), “Bullets in the Gun” (2010), “Clancy’s Tavern” (2011), “Hope on the Rocks” (2012), “Drinks After Work” (2013), “35 MPH Town” (2015), “The Bus Songs” (2017), and “Peso in My Pocket” (2021). Additionally, he put out the compilation “35 Biggest Hits” in 2008. In 2006, Keith made his acting debut in the film “Broken Bridges” and co-starred with comedian Rodney Carrington in the 2008 movie “Beer for My Horses,” inspired by his song of the same name.
Keith’s remarkable career includes 19 studio albums, 2 Christmas albums, and 5 compilations, contributing to over 40 million albums sold worldwide. He boasts 61 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, with 20 number one hits and 22 additional top 10 hits. Notably, his songs “Beer for My Horses” (a 2003 duet with Willie Nelson) and “As Good as I Once Was” (2005) both held the number one spot for six weeks each. Recognizing his significant contributions to the arts, President Donald Trump awarded Keith the National Medal of Arts in a private ceremony with Ricky Skaggs on January 13, 2021.
Songs
- Should’ve Been a Cowboy- Album: Toby Keith (1993)
- Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue – Album: Unleashed (2002)
- I Love This Bar – Album: Shock’n Y’all (2003)
- As Good as I Once Was – Album: Honkytonk University (2005)
- Red Solo Cup – Album: Clancy’s Tavern (2011)
- How Do You Like Me Now?! – Album: How Do You Like Me Now?! (1999)
- American Soldier – Album: Shock’n Y’all (2003)
- Don’t Let the Old Man In- Album: Greatest Hits: The Show Dog Years (2019)
- Beer for My Horses – Album: Unleashed (2002)
- I Wanna Talk About Me- Album: Pull My Chain (2001)
- You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This – Album: How Do You Like Me Now?! (1999)
- My List- Album: Pull My Chain (2001)
- Made in America – Album: Clancy’s Tavern (2011)
- Who’s That Man- Album: Boomtown (1994)
- Wish I Didn’t Know Now – Album: Toby Keith (1993)
- Happy Birthday America – Album: Peso in My Pocket (2021)
- American Ride – Album: American Ride (2009)
- Whiskey Girl – Album: Shock’n Y’all (2003)
- He Ain’t Worth Missing – Album: Toby Keith (1993)
- Who’s Your Daddy? – Album: Unleashed (2002)
- A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action – Album: Toby Keith (1993)
- Wacky Tobaccy – Album: The Bus Songs (2017)
- God Love Her – Album: That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy (2008)
- Trailerhood – Album: Bullets in the Gun (2010)
- Cryin’ for Me – Album: American Ride (2009)
- Weed With Willie- Album: Shock’n You all (2003)
- A Little Too Late – Album: White Trash with Money (2006)
- Beers Ago- Album: Clancy’s Tavern (2011)
- The Taliban Song – Album: Shock’n Y’all (2003)
- We Were in Love – Album: Dream Walkin’ (1998)
- Call A Marine – Album: Drinks After Work (2013)
- I’m Just Talkin’ About Tonight – Album: Pull My Chain (2001)
Net Worth
At the time of passing, Toby Keith’s net worth is estimated to be $365 million.
Toby Keith stomach cancer
In June 2022, Keith revealed he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer at the end of the previous year. He had been undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery for the past six months. In a December 2022 press release, Keith described his battle with cancer as “pretty debilitating.”
Toby Keith Health Update
Country music icon Toby Keith isn’t letting his battle with stomach cancer slow him down. Despite undergoing rigorous treatments, he remains active in the music industry and continues his charitable efforts. In November 2023, he was honored with the 2022 BMI Icon Award, and in June, he hosted a charity event to raise funds for the Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral, a lodging service for families seeking cancer treatment. He remains optimistic, looking forward to rejoining his fans soon.
“I’m feeling pretty good. … I’m about another eight weeks from my last scan. So, I expect next time I look for that tumor to be even less — and I’ve only got one that’s shown up,” Keith told The Oklahoman in an exclusive interview this past June.
Cause of Death
Toby Keith, passed away at the age of 62 from stomach cancer, as announced on his website. He died on February 5, 2024, after undergoing treatment for the illness for about 18 months.
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