Obituary by Kristen M. Hall, AP:
NORMAN, Okla. — Toby Keith, a hit country crafter of pro-American anthems who both riled up critics and was loved by millions of fans, has died. He was 62.
The “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” singer-songwriter, who was battling stomach cancer, died peacefully Monday surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on the country singer’s website. “He fought his fight with grace and courage,” the statement said. He was diagnosed in 2022.
The 6-foot-4 singer broke out in the country boom years of the 1990s, writing songs that fans loved to hear. Over his career, he publicly clashed with other celebrities and journalists and often pushed back against record executives who wanted to smooth his rough edges.
He was known for his overt patriotism on post-9/11 songs like “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” and boisterous barroom tunes like “I Love This Bar” and “Red Solo Cup.” He had a powerful booming voice, a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and a range that carried love songs as well as drinking songs.
Among his 20 No. 1 Billboard hits were “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 were other working-class songwriters like Merle Haggard and he tallied more than 60 singles on the Hot Country chart over his career.
Throughout the cancer treatments, Keith continued to perform, most recently playing in Las Vegas in December. He also performed on the People’s Choice Country Awards in 2023 as he sang his song “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”
“Cancer is a roller coaster,” he told KWTV during an interview aired last month. “You just sit here and wait on it to go away. It might never go away.”
As a young man, Keith worked as a roughneck in the oil fields of Oklahoma, then played semi-pro football before launching his career as a singer.
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His later hits included “Love Me if You Can,” “She Never Cried in Front of Me” and “Red Solo Cup.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.
He was honored by the performance rights organization BMI in November 2022 with the BMI Icon award, a few months after announcing his stomach cancer diagnosis.
“I always felt like the songwriting was the most important part of this whole industry,” Keith told the crowd of fellow singers and writers.
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Read the full obit at the link.
My favorite Toby Keith lyric:
Alarm clock starts ringin’ who could that be singin’
It’s me baby, with your wake-up call.
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Toby Keith / Chuck Cannon
How Do You Like Me Now?! lyrics © Tokeco Tunes, Wacissa River Music, Wacissa River Music Inc.
R.I.P.
PWS
02-07-24