On February 5th we lost a famous and very popular country music singer Toby Keith. His cause of death was from an ongoing battle with stomach cancer that he had been diagnosed with two years ago. He passed away peacefully with his family by his side.
He was born July 8th, 1961, in Clinton, Oklahoma. He then moved to Oklahoma City where he was raised. He started playing music from a very young ago because of musicians who worked with his grandmother at a supper club. After his graduation from high school he did not attend college but instead went into the Oklahoma Oil fields, who he worked with his father. He also played in the USFL football league before he decided to pursue his music career.
He began his career in the early 1990’s with his songs about patriotism and partying. One of his biggest songs that has blew him up was after the 9/11 events making a song call “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.” He signed a music deal with mercury Records. His song “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying,” which earned him a Grammy nomination. he had many more success with “How Do You Like Me Now!?” which won Album of the Year at the Academy of Country Music with is the ACM awards. He was named Top male vocalist. “Pull My Chain” was at the top of the country album charts in 2001.
In 2002 and 2003 he was named Entertainer of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. In 2005 his album Honkytonk University he had one of the biggest singles “As Good As I Once Was” which one the CMA award for music video of the year. He was also honored in Oklahoma being inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
He went on tour in 2008, he played 18 shows for U.S. Troops in Persian Gulf. In one of his performances he had to leave stage because of the mortar fire, but he then later returned to the stage after the attack stopped. That year he also starred in the big screen comedy “Beer for My Horses” about a small-town deputy who arrests a Mexican drug lord.
Awards – 2004, 2001 – Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year. 2005, 2002 – Billboard Music Award for Top Country Artist. 2001 – Country Music Association Award for Male Vocalist of the Year. 2021 – National Medal of Arts. 2004, 2001 – Academy of Country Music Award for Male Artist of the Year. 2012, 2005 – Country Music Association Award for Music Video of the Year. 2004, 2003 – Academy of Country Music Award for Entertainer of the Year. 2004, 2003 – American Music Award for Favorite Country Album. 2012, 2004 – Academy of Country Music Award for Visual Media of the Year. 2017 – Academy of Country Music Awards Poet’s Award. 2006, 2004 – American Music Award for Favorite male Artist Country. 2009 – Academy of Country Music Awards Tex Ritter Award. 2021 – Academy of Country Music for Merle Haggard Spirt Award. 2005 – Billboard Music Award for Country Album Artist of the Year. 2014 – Academy of Country Music Awards Career Achievement Award.
Rest Easy Toby Keith.
