Toby Keith passed away on Feb. 5 at the age of 62 after a battle with stomach cancer.
Oklahomans and country music fans across the country are remembering his legacy.
Born on July 8, 1961, as Toby Keith Covel in Clinton, his family first lived in Forth Smith, Ark., where he gained an interest in music and became a musician after visiting his grandmother's tavern, Billie Garner's Supper Club. He did odd jobs and joined the band to play often at the tavern as a young child.
After his family moved to Moore, Okla., Keith remained interested in music. He attended Highland West Junior High and Moore High School, where he played music and football as a teen.
After graduation he worked in the oil and gas industry as a derrick hand and later as an operation manager. When he was 20, Keith and his friends formed the Easy Money Band, and played local bars at night while he worked in the oil fields during the day. Keith left in the middle of a concert if he got paged to work in the oil field.
When the oil and gas industry declined in 1982, Keith found himself unemployed. He played football with the semi-pro Oklahoma City Drillers while still playing with his band. Over time, he focused on music despite some friends and family unsure he would make it.
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Keith released his first album Toby Keith in 1993. He would then release three more albums, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon, and 1997's Dream Walkin'. All four albums produced several Top Ten singles and earned Gold or higher certification. His debut single, "Should've Been a Cowboy," became the most-played country song of the 1990s.
Cell phone video caught him singing the song with Oklahoma State fans a few years ago.
He eventually signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 1998 and released "How Do You Like Me Now?!" in late 1999. This song became the number-one country song of the year 2000. Keith found success and produced multiple number-one chart-toppers until DreamWorks Records closed in 2005.
Keith founded the label Show Dog Nashville and released ten more studio albums and several compilation albums over the years. He made his acting debut in 2006 in the film Broken Bridges and later appeared in Beer for My Horses.
He released 19 studio albums, two Christmas albums and five compilation albums over his career. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
There's several mementos at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee. They have one of his famous cowboy hats, and a signed guitar he played at his induction in 2005.
"I think he was a genuine person," said Chase Prince. "I thought it reflected in his music a lot."
Chase Prince is a sound engineer at the museum and a loyal fan.
"It hit me like a freight train," said Prince.
He says Toby Keith's music has been a soundtrack for his life.
"He had a lot of fun songs and a lot of patriotic songs," said Prince. "It's nice to see that someone like him that has such a legacy in music be from here. It just does a lot for everyone that's a musician."
Ron Stevens works at the radio station inside of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame Museum.
As he was flipping through his photo album Tuesday morning, he spotted the picture he took with Keith back in May 2000.
"He took time for each and every person every time I've seen him and that's my memory of Toby Keith," said Ron Stevens.
Through several meetings over the years, Stevens says the country music legend was always the same, generous, kind and down to earth.
"I think country music and Oklahomans are going to miss him greatly," said Stevens.
"I don't think he'll ever be forgotten," said Prince. "That's the good thing about music is he'll never really die. He may not be here anymore, but we'll always be able to look back at his music."
Keith performed at Governor Kevin Stitt's inauguration. Stitt posted on Facebook about Keith's death.
In 2021,President Trump awarded the National Medal of Arts.
Senator Markwayne Mullin called Keith "Oklahoma Proud":
“Oklahoma-native Toby Keith was a titan for country music. Born in Clinton, raised in Moore, and later playing semi-pro football for the Oklahoma City Drillers — Toby was Oklahoma Proud. He loved his family like he loved his country. May he rest in peace.”
Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole remembered how Keith showed up for his home state.
“Toby Keith was a homegrown music legend whose love of America and Oklahoma was ever-present. He never failed to show up for our military, embarking on multiple USO tours for our troops. In fact, after a visit to Iraq, where he came under fire at a forward operating base, the House of Representatives passed a resolution commending him for his courage and support of our men and women in uniform. Not surprisingly, he continued performing during the attack. He brought that same vigor to our community. Toby actually grew up a few blocks from where my grandmother lived in the Southgate neighborhood of Moore. He never forgot his hometown. After every tornado or local disaster, he was always there to help with a concert and generous donations to local charities. His name is on a local water tower for a reason. Toby Keith loved Moore, Oklahoma—and its citizens loved him right back. He'll be sorely missed, but his words will live on through every song played. I know those ballads will be loud at home. Please join me in lifting the Keith family in prayer.”
Speaker of the Oklahoma House Charles McCall said Keith's loss is big for the state:
"Today is a sad day for Oklahoma as we mourn the passing of one of our native sons, Toby Keith. His contributions to Oklahoma go far beyond his music, as he was well known for his philanthropy and giving back to the state he loved so dearly. He helped promote our state both nationally and internationally, and his love for our troops and our country is something we should all seek to emulate. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. He will be missed."
Keith announced his cancer diagnosis in 2021.
In 2023 he returned to the stage with a series of shows in Las Vegas— all sold out.
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