Country Music Star Toby Keith
Okahoma Native's Hits: I Love This Bar, American Soldier, My List
Toby Keith scored his first number one hit with "Should've Been a Cowboy" in 1993. Since then, Keith has enjoyed enormous success in country music, racking up a string of number one songs, winning a slew of awards, starring in two movies and ruffling more than a few feathers along the way.
Born in Oklahoma
Toby Keith Covel was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, on July 8, 1961. He is the son of Carolyn and Hubert K. Covel Jr. Keith's father was killed in an automobile accident on March 24, 2001.
Keith's musical influences came early, as his grandmother owned a supper club where he sometimes observed the visiting acts. At age eight, the musically-inclined Keith was gifted with his first guitar.
Oil Fields, Easy Money Band, Football
Toby Keith graduated from Moore (Oklahoma) High School in 1979, where he had been a member of the Lions football team. He then went to work in the Oklahoma oil fields, first as a derrick hand and later as an operations manager.
In 1981, Keith formed his own band, Easy Money, playing the local bars while still employed full time in the oil fields. When the oil business began to tank in 1982, the 6'4" Keith tried his hand at semi-pro football, playing defensive end for the Oklahoma City Drillers for two years.
Full Time Musician
In 1984, Keith decided to devote full attention to his music. His Easy Money Band began touring, traveling the honky tonk circuit in Oklahoma and Texas. Their first single, "Blue Moon," received limited airplay in Oklahoma.
Keith in Nashville
In 1993, Keith headed to Nashville, where he distributed demo tapes to various record companies. When no offers came, a disappointed Keith headed home to Oklahoma.
Fortunately, a flight attendant who had heard Keith's demo tape placed it in the hands of Harold Shedd, an executive at Mercury Records. Shedd liked what he heard, caught one of Keith's live performances and subsequently signed the ex-semi-pro football player to a recording contract.
Should've Been a Cowboy
Toby Keith's first Mercury single, "Should've Been a Cowboy," went straight to number one on the country charts in 1993. That same year his debut album, Toby Keith, went platinum.
More Number One Hits
Keith's next number one hit -- "Who's That Man," off his Boomtown album -- came in 1994. That was followed by more number ones, including "Me Too" (1997), "How Do You Like Me Now?" (2000), "My List" (2002), "I Love This Bar" (2003), "American Soldier" (2004),"Whiskey Girl" (2004), "As Good As I Once Was" (2005) and "Love Me If You Can" (2007).
Toby Keith Awards
Although official recognition was slow in coming, Toby Keith has garnered his fair share of awards in recent years. Among the booty: Country Music Association (CMA) Male Vocalist of the Year (2001), Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year (2002, 2003) and CMA Video of the Year As Good As I Once Was (2005).
Toby Keith Films
In 2006, Keith starred as Bo Price, a fading country music star, in Paramount/CMT's Broken Bridges. His latest film, Beer for My Horses, in the starring role of Rack, is due in theaters on August 8, 2008.
Beer for My Horses CD
Toby Keith's latest CD is the motion picture soundtrack Beer for My Horses (2008), which also features Mel Tillis, Ted Nugent and David Alan Coe. Keith and Willie Nelson sing the title song, with Keith also teaming up with Mica Roberts for "Let's Get Trashed."
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