Toby Keith, the hit country author of pro-American anthems that outraged critics and beloved millions of fans, has died. He was 62 years old.
The “Should Have Been a Cowboy” singer-songwriter, who had been suffering from stomach cancer, passed away peacefully Monday surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on the country singer's website. “He fought with grace and courage,” the statement said. He announced his cancer diagnosis in 2022.
The 6-foot-4 singer broke out during the 1990s country boom and wrote songs that fans wanted to hear. While most people will remember her for her music, some will remember her for her long-standing association with the Dallas Cowboys.
His smash hit “Should've Been a Cowboy” was played 3 million times on radio stations, making it the most played country song of the 1990s.
In 1993, Keith performed a special remix of the song prior to Monday Night Football's game between the Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ten years later, Keith was the halftime performer at a Thanksgiving game against the Miami Dolphins.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones even cited Keith's music as his own inspiration through real-life quotes from Clint Eastwood.
As a young man, Keith worked as a roughneck in the oil fields of Oklahoma, then played semi-professional football, and then began a career as a singer.
He spent several seasons as a defensive end for the Oklahoma City Drillers, a farm team in the now-defunct United States Football League. However, he found steady money playing music with a band on the red dirt roadhouse circuit in Oklahoma and Texas.
His path eventually led him to Nashville, where he caught the attention of Mercury Records head Harold Shedd, best known as the producer of the hit group Alabama. Shedd brought him to Mercury, where he released his platinum debut record, Toby Keith, in 1993.
He is known for his overt patriotism in post-9/11 songs such as “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” and raucous barroom songs such as “I Love This Bar” and “Red Solo Cup.” I was there. He had a powerful voice, a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, and the range to cover everything from love songs to drinking songs.
Among his 20 No. 1 Billboard hits are “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “As Good As I Once Was,” “My List,” and his duet with Willie Nelson, “Beer for My Horses” was there. He influenced other working-class songwriters such as Merle Haggard, and had more than 60 singles on the Hot Country charts during his career.
The Associated Press contributed to this post.
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