Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. Known professionally by his given names, Keith released his first four studio albums—1993’s Toby Keith, 1994’s Boomtown, 1996’s Blue Moon and 1997’s Dream Walkin’, plus a Greatest Hits package—for various divisions of Mercury Records before leaving Mercury in 1998. These albums all earned Gold or higher certification, and produced several Top Ten singles, including his debut “Should’ve Been a Cowboy”, which topped the country charts and was the most-played country song of the 1990s. The song has received three million spins since its release, according to Broadcast Music Incorporated.
Is Toby Keith still married?
County music star Toby Keith‘s wife, Tricia Lucas Covel, first caught his attention at an Oklahoma nightclub in 1981 when he was just 20-years-old and she was 19. After three years of dating, the pair got hitched on March 24, 1984 and have since enjoyed 37 years of wedded bliss.
After their nuptials, Toby adopted Tricia’s daughter Shelley and the couple went on to welcome daughter Krystal and son Stelen into the family. In the early days of their marriage, the couple struggled financially as Keith worked the oil fields for $50,000 a year while also dabbling in music. Once the oil industry hit a downturn, the future star took leap of faith to pursue a music career.
And work it did. Success finally hit in 1993, when Keith’s self-titled debut album went platinum. And its breakout single, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” became the most-played country song of the 1990s.
Overall, the singer-songwriter has released nineteen studio albums, two Christmas albums, and five compilation albums. He has also charted sixty-one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.
Despite his seemingly tough exterior, Keith is a teddy bear when it comes to Tricia. “Most people think he is just the most romantic person on the planet,” she admitted to People. “He has his moments of charm. It is nice to get a bouquet of flowers, but I’ve told him, ‘Save the money. Roses die in five to seven days. Buy me an outfit, or take me to dinner.’”
With the encouragement of Tricia, Keith’s total career earnings are estimated at $500 million. The couple is certainly living the high life, but the pair value their three children and grandchildren above all.
What is the best song of Toby Keith?
The best songs come quickly, and this career-defining hit from Toby Keith is said to have taken only 20 minutes to write. Keith was inspired by the death of his father and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and the very first time he performed “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” at a live show, fans went nuts. It went on to become his biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, his first gold single.
Why did Toby Keith retire?
“The partnership between an act and their label is critical for realizing mainstream success,” and Little Big Town’s lack of such a partnership is part of what ultimately hampered their success. Keith’s early career, however, demonstrated that even a prolonged relationship with a single entity can be just as unstable.
Keith famously ran into a wall of rejection when his first arrived in Nashville, but eventually Mercury Records took a flyer on him, and the bet paid off handsomely when “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” rocketed to #1 in 1993 and ended up as the most-played song of the entire decade. Three more Top Five hits followed, and his self-titled debut disc was certified platinum the very next year. It’s the sort of success that a label would die for, so obviously Mercury bumped Keith to their A-list and made him the face of their label, right?
In fact, not only did Mercury not prioritize Keith, they dumped him onto Polydor Records when it spun off from Mercury in 1994. Polydor’s Nashville branch was then briefly rebranded as A&M Nashville in 1996, and then closed later that year just five months after Keith’s third album was released, which shuffled Keith back under Mercury’s roof. Put it all together, and it wasn’t until Keith’s fifth and sixth discs that he officially recorded consecutive country albums on the same label (tellingly, this label was not Mercury). AllMusic reports that Keith left Mercury over frustration over record promotion, and after looking over his story, it’s hard to blame him.
Is Toby Keith sick?
The country music singer said he’s spent the last several months receiving chemotherapy, radiation and surgery after his cancer diagnosis.
WASHINGTON — Country star Toby Keith revealed on Sunday that he has been battling cancer for several months.
Keith said in a statement posted online that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer last fall and has spent the last six months receiving chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
“So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax. I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait,” Keith wrote.
According to his official website, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member had been scheduled to perform two concerts next week in Illinois and Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also had a handful of concerts scheduled from mid-July to early August. The Ohio State Fair, where Keith had been scheduled to perform on July 28, confirmed that the show had been canceled and ticket holders would be receiving refunds.
“Our hearts go out to Toby Keith as he courageously battles cancer,” the Ohio State Fair tweeted. The “Red Solo Cup” singer had recently performed over Memorial Day weekend at the Heroes Honor Festival at Daytona International Speedway.
Throughout his career, Keith has been an advocate for those battling cancer. Back in 2006, he started the Toby Keith Foundation to help kids diagnosed with cancer throughout Oklahoma. In 2014, the foundation opened the “OK Kids Korral,” which offers pediatric cancer patients and their families a place to stay while receiving treatment at The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center.
Just weeks before revealing his own cancer diagnosis, the “Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic” raised more than $1.38 million for OK Kids Korral.
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