Toby Keith, Country Singer-Songwriter, Dies At 62 After Stomach Cancer Diagnosis

Toby Keith, a popular country singer known for his pro-American anthems who enraged detractors while also winning over millions of admirers, has died. He was 62.

According to a statement on his website, the singer-songwriter of “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” who had stomach cancer, passed away peacefully on Monday with his family by his side. “He fought his fight with grace and courage,” the statement read. He disclosed his cancer diagnosis in 2022.

The 6-foot-4 vocalist rose to prominence during the country boom of the 1990s, producing songs that listeners enjoyed hearing. Throughout his career, he publicly clashed with other celebrities and journalists and frequently fought against record executives who sought to tame his rough edges.

He was recognized for his overt patriotism in post-9/11 songs like “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue,” as well as loud barroom songs like “I Love This Bar” and “Red Solo Cup.” He possessed a big, booming voice, a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour, and a range that could carry love and drinking songs.

Toby Keith, Country Singer-Songwriter, Dies At 62 After Stomach Cancer Diagnosis

His 20 No. 1 Billboard successes included “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “As Good As I Once Was,” “My List,” and “Beer for My Horses,” a duet with Willie Nelson. His influences included fellow working-class songwriters such as Merle Haggard, and he had more than 60 singles on the Hot Country chart over his career.

Keith continues to perform despite his cancer treatments, most recently in Las Vegas in December. In 2023, he also performed at the People’s Choice Country Awards with his song “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”

“Cancer is a roller coaster,” he told KWTV in an interview broadcast last month. “You simply sit here and wait for it to go away. “It may never go away.”

Keith worked as a roughneck in Oklahoma’s oil fields as a young man, then played semi-pro football before beginning his singing career.

Toby Keith, Country Singer-Songwriter, Dies At 62 After Stomach Cancer Diagnosis

“I write and sing about life, and I don’t overanalyze things,” Keith told The Associated Press in 2001, following the popularity of his song “I’m Just Talking About Tonight.”

Keith received valuable lessons in the growing oil fields, which toughened him up and taught him the importance of money.

“The money to be made was unbelievable,” Keith told the Associated Press in 1996. “I graduated from high school in 1980, and they hired me in December 1979 for $50,000 a year. “I was 18 years old.

However, the domestic oilfield business crumbled, and Keith was not saved. “It almost broke us,” he admitted. “So, I just learned. I took care of my money this time.”

He played a few seasons as a defensive end for the Oklahoma City Drillers, a farm team for the now-defunct United States Football League. But he made consistent money playing music with his band on Oklahoma and Texas’s red dirt roadhouse circuit.

“All through this whole thing, the only constant thing we had was music,” he said. “But it’s difficult to sit back and say, ‘I’m going to make a fortune singing or writing music.’ I had no contacts.

His path eventually led him to Nashville, where he piqued the eye of Mercury Records’ head, Harold Shedd, best known for producing the success group Alabama. Shedd signed him to Mercury, where he launched his platinum debut album, “Toby Keith,” in 1993.

Toby Keith, Country Singer-Songwriter, Dies At 62 After Stomach Cancer Diagnosis

His breakout hit, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” was played 3 million times on radio stations, making it the most popular country song of the 1990s.

However, the label’s focus on worldwide superstar Shania Twain eclipsed the rest of the group, and Keith believed that the executives were attempting to steer him in a pop path.

“They were trying to get me to compromise, and I was living a miserable existence,” Keith was quoted as saying by the AP. “Everybody was trying to mould me into something I was not.”

Keith signed with DreamWorks Records in 1999, following a string of albums that included singles including “Who’s That Man” and a cover of Sting’s “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying.”

That’s when his multiweek hit “How Do You Like Me Now?!” went viral and became his first Top 40 smash. In 2001, he won male vocalist and album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, screaming on stage, “I’ve waited a long time for this. “Nine years!”

Keith frequently wore his politics on his sleeve, particularly following the terrorist attacks on American soil in 2001, and he initially identified as a conservative Democrat before later claiming to be independent. He performed in events for Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, who awarded him the National Medal of the Arts in 2021. His music and forthright opinions occasionally sparked controversy, which he appeared to relish.

His 2002 song “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” carried a threat — “We’ll put a boot in your ass — It’s the American way” — to anyone who attempted to interfere with America.

That song was removed from a patriotic ABC Fourth of July special because producers felt it was too furious for the broadcast. Singer-songwriter Steve Earle described Keith’s song as “pandering to people’s worst instincts at a time when they are hurt and scared.”

Toby Keith, Country Singer-Songwriter, Dies At 62 After Stomach Cancer Diagnosis

Then there was the conflict between Keith and The Chicks (previously known as the Dixie Chicks), who became Keith’s target after singer Natalie Maines informed a crowd that they were embarrassed by then-President George W. Bush. Maines had previously described Keith’s song as “ignorant.”

Keith, who had previously stated that he backed any artist’s right to express their political views, juxtaposed a doctored photo of Maines with an image of Saddam Hussein at his shows, inciting even more outrage among fans.

Maines retaliated by wearing a blouse with the letters “FUTK” onstage at the 2003 ACM Awards, which many people saw as a rude message to Keith.

Keith, who has admitted to holding grudges, stormed out of the ACM Awards early in 2003 after being spurned in earlier categories, missing out when he was named entertainer of the year. Vincent Gill accepted on his behalf. He returned the following year and won the top prize for the second year in a row, as well as best male vocalist and album of the year for “Shock ‘n Y’all.”

His pro-military stance was more than just material for songs. He embarked on 11 USO trips to visit and perform for overseas troops. Throughout his career, he has helped raise millions of dollars for charity, including constructing a home in Oklahoma City for children with cancer and their families.

Keith restarted his career after Universal Music Group acquired DreamWorks, launching his record label, Show Dog, in 2005 alongside record executive Scott Borchetta, who founded his label, Big Machine.

“Probably 75% of the people in this town think I’ll fail, and the other 25% hope I fail,” he said.

Keith, Trace Adkins, Joe Nichols, Josh Thompson, Clay Walker, and Phil Vassar were among the artists signed to the label, which later became Show Dog-Universal Music.

His following singles were “Love Me If You Can,” “She Never Cried in Front of Me,” and “Red Solo Cup.” He was elected into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.

He received the BMI Icon award in November 2022, a few months after announcing his stomach cancer diagnosis.

“I always believed that songwriting was the most important aspect of this entire industry,” Keith told the audience of fellow singers and writers.

SOURCE – (AP)