Toby Keith actor and musician dies age 62

Stomach cancer. What a horrible way to go.

This one really effects me. I listen to Toby’s music regularly. He was a blue collar worker for several years before entering the music business.

He also had sucess acting.

RIP

The only song that I’m sure that I know of his is Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue, and those lyrics sound like a South Park parody of an over-the-top patriotic country song. I was playing it with friends and literally burst out laughing.

In high school my daughter went through a country music phase. At the time a friend of mine was with RCA/BMG music, and worked closely with Mr Keith.

I was able to get my daughter tickets for the show and Meet&Greet passes for her and a friend. It was her first concert without a parent and she really had a great time. Toby gave her and her friend all kinds of swag.

Cool guy.

Some Toby’s of hits are in this article with YouTube links.

Courtesy of The Red White & Blue hasn’t aged well. It was written in response to 9/11 and the recent death of Toby’s father. A lot of the anger from 9/11 drives the song.

While I’ve not been a country music sort of guy for most of my life, my late wife was a big fan…especially in the 90s. She loved Toby Keith and Alan Jackson in particular and, perhaps surprisingly, they were a couple of the performers that were more palatable to me. We attended several concerts performed by each of them.

I’m inclined at this point in my life to cut some slack for any and all performers who put out cringeworthy material right after 9/11.

I was quite saddened to learn that Toby had passed.

Toby worked in the oil fields like my grandad. Toby had a local band for several years before getting a record contract.

He even played defensive end with the semi-pro Oklahoma City Drillers. During a slump in the oil industry.

I would have enjoyed having a beer with him and talked about the oil fields. Maybe play a few Hank Williams songs together.

I don’t care much for country music in general, but I liked Toby Keith. He seemed to be an authenic type of character, not a wantabee cowboy. He had grit. I’m going to drink a beer in his honor tonight at the local bar.

Surely it should be whiskey for you and beer for your horses?

I spent a few years as a Country DJ in the early 1990s, when Country was really hot and a lot of new artists were emerging, Toby Keith among them. I always liked “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” one of his early hits. Sorry to hear of his passing.

I enjoyed a lot of his 90s output. But he got Dennis Miller’ed by 9-11. He basically provided the soundtrack for the invasion of Iraq, and somehow got into a feud with the Dixie Chicks. He seemed to calm down in more recent years, though. Rest in peace.

Always been a fan of his. Back when I used to go to Vegas every year I would occasionally go to his bar there.

It’s fun to see that there are some country music fans on this board. I enjoy “Should Have Been A Cowboy.” His passing made me curious to learn more about his career and I was surprised to discover that he didn’t release his first hit until he was in his thirties, and he was 50 years old by the time he released his biggest hit (“Red Solo Cup”). In a culture that seems to revere the youth and disdain aging, it’s always cool to see someone accomplish great things even after their metabolism slows down and their hair starts graying!

I’m not a country fan or a Toby Keith fan. Nothing particularly against him. I watched this tribute and was truly moved. I had no idea they were friends.

I’m not at all a country music fan, and can only name one Toby Keith song, but that song is a heart-breaker. It’s “Don’t Let the Old Man In” and it’s about enjoying life as you get older, and not letting age get you down. It was the theme song in Clint Eastwood’s poignant film The Mule, which seemed like a personal commentary by Eastwood about his own twilight years. Which makes it sadly ironic that Toby Keith died at a relatively young age.

There was a red solo cup in front of my building this afternoon. Toby sayin hi. I loved most of his songs.

Here’s the song I mentioned, with cut scenes from The Mule as background.

Toby was good friends with Merle Haggard. Merle got sick with pneumonia and had to stop his tour. A couple months later Merle was still sick but accepted a one night, high paying gig. He needed the money to pay his band and keep it together until he could resume touring. He still had a year of dates scheduled.

Toby was on vacation and heard about the gig. He came by and talked with Merle. Merle started performing and ran out of breath and energy after a few songs. Toby joined him on stage and sang the rest of Merle’s songs. Merle died not long afterward. His sons took the bus and band on the road and finished the tour dates.

Toby tells the story here. I think this interview was before his cancer diagnosis.

It’s ironic that Toby’s last performance was only a couple months before his death.

I’m not a fan of most country music either, but I watched the Toby Keith episode of The Big Interview with Dan Rather. He really was a good guy.