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 香蕉视频直播淪hould香蕉视频直播檝e Been a Cowboy香蕉视频直播� singer-songwriter, who , died peacefully Monday surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on the country singer香蕉视频直播檚 website. 香蕉视频直播淗e fought his fight with grace and courage,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淐ourtesy of the Red, White and Blue,香蕉视频直播� and boisterous barroom tunes like 香蕉视频直播淚 Love This Bar香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淩ed Solo Cup.香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淗ow Do You Like Me Now?!,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淎s Good As I Once Was,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淢y List香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淏eer for My Horses,香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播檚 Choice Country Awards in 2023 as he sang his song 香蕉视频直播淒on香蕉视频直播檛 Let the Old Man In.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淐ancer is a roller coaster,香蕉视频直播� he told during an interview aired last month. 香蕉视频直播淵ou just sit here and wait on it to go away. It might never go away.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淚 write about life, and I sing about life, and I don香蕉视频直播檛 overanalyze things,香蕉视频直播� Keith told The Associated Press in 2001, following the success of his song 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 Just Talking About Tonight.香蕉视频直播�
Keith learned good lessons in the booming oil fields, which toughened him up, but also showed him the value of money.
香蕉视频直播淭he money to be made was unbelievable,香蕉视频直播� Keith told the AP in 1996. 香蕉视频直播淚 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.香蕉视频直播�
But the domestic oil field industry collapsed and Keith had not saved. 香蕉视频直播淚t about broke us,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淪o I just learned. I香蕉视频直播檝e taken care of my money this time.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淎ll through this whole thing the only constant thing we had was music,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut it香蕉视频直播檚 hard to sit back and say, 香蕉视频直播業香蕉视频直播檓 going to go make my fortune singing music, or writing music.香蕉视频直播� I had no contacts.香蕉视频直播�
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 香蕉视频直播淭oby Keith,香蕉视频直播� in 1993.
香蕉视频直播淪hould香蕉视频直播檝e Been a Cowboy,香蕉视频直播� his breakout hit, was played 3 million times on radio stations, making it the most played country song of the 1990s.
But the label香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淭hey were trying to get me to compromise, and I was living a miserable existence,香蕉视频直播� Keith told the AP. 香蕉视频直播淓verybody was trying to mold me into something I was not.香蕉视频直播�
After a series of albums that produced hits like 香蕉视频直播淲ho香蕉视频直播檚 That Man,香蕉视频直播� and cover of Sting香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 So Happy I Can香蕉视频直播檛 Stop Crying,香蕉视频直播� Keith moved to DreamWorks Records in 1999.
That香蕉视频直播檚 when his multi-week 香蕉视频直播淗ow Do You Like Me Now?!香蕉视频直播� 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: 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e waited a long time for this. Nine years!香蕉视频直播�
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香蕉视频直播檚 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, 香蕉视频直播淐ourtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)香蕉视频直播� included a threat 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檒l put a boot in your ass 香蕉视频直播� It香蕉视频直播檚 the American way香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播檚 song 香蕉视频直播減andering to people香蕉视频直播檚 worst instincts at a time they are hurt and scared.香蕉视频直播�
Then there was the feud between Keith and The Chicks (formerly called the Dixie Chicks), who became a target of Keith香蕉视频直播檚 ire when singer Natalie Maines told a crowd that they were ashamed of then-President George W. Bush. Maines had also previously called Keith香蕉视频直播檚 song 香蕉视频直播渋gnorant.香蕉视频直播�
Keith, who had previously claimed that he supported any artist香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播淔UTK香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淪hock 香蕉视频直播檔 Y香蕉视频直播檃ll.香蕉视频直播�
His pro-military stance wasn香蕉视频直播檛 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.
香蕉视频直播淧robably 75% of the people in this town think I香蕉视频直播檒l fail, and the other 25% hope I fail,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淟ove Me If You Can,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淪he Never Cried In Front of Me,香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淩ed Solo Cup.香蕉视频直播� 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.
香蕉视频直播淚 always felt like that the songwriting was the most important part of this whole industry,香蕉视频直播� Keith told the crowd of fellow singers and writers.
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