Country Icon Toby Keith, 62, Dies

Country Icon Toby Keith, 62, Dies

(DailyDig.com) – The 62-year-old country musician Toby Keith died on February 5. His albums were number one on the United States album chart four times. His death from stomach cancer, which he had battled since 2022, was announced on his website.

Keith’s website states that his loving family encircled him. He battled cancer with dignity and bravery, according to the statement.

The blue-collar upbringing that Keith experienced as a child in Oklahoma in 1961 was an inspiration for his enormously popular music. His musical talents began at an early age, and he also had a bright future as a football player for the semi-professional City Drillers of Oklahoma and an occupation as an oilfield derrick man.

In the mid-80s, he started creating songs on his own and performed in a honky-tonk group. After a flight attendant admirer sent a demo tape to an executive, Keith was signed to Mercury Records. Twenty of his singles, including his self-written first hit “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” peaked at number one in 1993 on the United States country charts.

After the events of September 11, 2001, Keith wrote a song titled “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” that glorified the United States’ involvement in the fight against their adversaries by stating that “it’s the American way.” The song went on to amplify his already considerable conservative fanbase.

During Keith’s most lucrative era from 2000 to 2004, he released this single along with a list of almost ten consecutive national number one hits, including “My List” and “As Good As I Once Was.” With the release of “Peso in My Pocket” in 2021, he maintained his status as a constant presence on country radio stations throughout the course of his career.

Keith performed for American soldiers on many occasions in the Middle East. Additionally, he performed at events hosted by Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump, and in 2021, Trump bestowed the “National Medal of the Arts” upon him.

Keith leaves behind his three children and wife, Tricia Lucus.

Copyright 2024, DailyDig.com