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Toby Keith: Remembering The Legend

Toby Keith: Remembering The Legend

Toby Keith: Remembering The Legend

Tim McGraw And Toby Keith: What They Shared

Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group

Like the rest of us, Tim McGraw was mourning the death of country star Toby Keith yesterday (2/6). In the afternoon, Tim took to his social media and almost four million followers on Instagram to note one thing that he and Toby shared at the beginning of their careers in country music.

McGaw posted a photo of Toby’s debut album and his own debut album on Instagram. Tim captioned the covers, “Our self-titled debuts came out on the same day, April 20, 1993… Toby and I spent quite a bit of time together early in our careers…..We had a lot of good times and conversations about what we wanted out of our careers and our lives. He was a maverick. He did things his way, on his terms, a true artist. I always have and always will have tremendous respect for his artistry, dedication, and fearlessness to do his thing.”

He closed with, “We all will miss you, brother.”

RELATED: Luke, Lainey, and Dolly Honor Toby Keith

Other country superstars posted messages about Keith’s death, including George Strait and his wife Norma, who posted to Strait’s Insta Stories: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the @tobykeith family. May God give you comfort and peace.”

Also, in honor of Toby last night, many stars on the Grand Ole Opry, including Darius Rucker, sang his songs. In the green room backstage at the Opry, red solo cups with Keith’s name were used to serve beverages.

Blake Shelton  posted to his Insta Stories about the death of his friend.  Blake wrote on his Insta Stories in a solid black background, “Even though I knew about your battle these last few months, I still never imagined this day. Anyone who knew you knows what I mean.”

He continued, “You were the toughest man I ever met. Thank you, brother, for being a friend, a hero, and an inspiration. There will never be another Toby Keith.”

Five of Toby Keith's Songs That Will Live Forever

  • "Should've Been a Cowboy" (1993)

    This is his debut single and the song people will always associate with Toby. Many artists mentioned the song and its lyrics in their tribute to him after his death (2/6). Keith wrote the song himself, and it has always been his anthem. The song has received more than three million spins on country radio, making it the most-played country song of the 1990s. Over the years, the song has been a staple following sporting events at Oklahoma State University (home of the Cowboys), often played over the venue’s PA system several times in succession as fans emptied the stadium or arena.

  • "How Do You Like Me Now?!" (1999)

    This song brought Keith to superstardom. Toby told me the inspiration for the song in 2000. “Initially, I said, ‘Here’s my title: ‘You Never Loved Me Before, So How Do You Like Me Now?’ It’s one of my catchphrases. A lot of people become successful after they’ve been told they won’t ever be so that people can relate to this. It can be about an old flame or a boss or a teacher -whatever it means to each individual. It was a fun song to write.”

  • "I Wanna Talk About Me" (2001)

    This is another fun song and a big hit for Keith. The song was originally pitched to Blake Shelton, whose label turned it down. After recording the song, Keith said he knew he would get banged around for the song a bit. He noted, “They’re going to call it a rap, [although] there ain’t nobody doing rap who would call it a rap.”

    The music video for the song shows Toby in many different situations, including a man shopping with his girlfriend or wife, a police officer, a motorcycle rider, and a surgeon.

  • "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" (2002)

    The song he wrote after the 9/11 attacks on America and was also inspired by Keith’s father’s death in March 2001. In a November 2003 interview with CBS, Keith said of writing the song: “I was so angry when we were attacked here on American soil that it leaked out of me.”

    The music video for the song features Toby performing the song, playing a red, white, and blue guitar, and showing images of his own father fighting in a war.

  • "Red Solo Cup" (2011)

    Keith sure is good at fun party songs, and he proved it once again with this song, which was the only song on the album Clancy’s Tavern that he did not write. The song was written by the Warren Brothers in Nashville.

    The music video includes cameos from Jeff Dunham (and his character Bubba J), Carrot Top, Ted Nugent, Sammy Hagar, Craig Ferguson, Geoff Peterson, Roger Clemens, Eric Church, Joe Nichols, Lance Burton, and Larry Bird, among others.

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.

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Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group
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