Toby Keith Information

Toby Keith got into the music business in the mid-1980s and by 1988 he was Nashville-bound. By 1993 Toby Keith had landed a record deal and released a self-titled debut album. The Toby Keith album spawned several hit songs, including the No. 1 single "Should've Been a Cowboy." Within five years after his debut Toby Keith had generated enough hit songs to release a compilation of greatest hits. But it was his post-9/11 retaliatory call that propelled Toby Keith into the mainstream national spotlight.

"Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue," a fiery anthem Toby Keith wrote in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. unleashed a national media debate. Even people with no knowledge of country music knew about the Toby Keith "boot in the ass" song. ABC News anchor Peter Jennings objected to Toby Keith's scheduled performance on a network Fourth of July show. Toby Keith was taken off the guest list. In addition, Natalie Maines, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, began a public feud with Toby Keith over the song. But the publicity only helped Toby Keith's career. The song went to No. 1 on the country charts and crossed over into the pop Top 25. And the fervor introduced many new fans to the direct, sometimes humorous lyrics of Toby Keith.

Now a songwriter, vocalist, musician, and producer, Toby Keith has come a long way from Clinton, Oklahoma. Toby Keith was born Toby Keith Covel in 1961. He grew up on a farm for the most part. At age 8 Toby Keith took up the guitar, inspired by the country musicians who played at the supper club run by his grandmother. Toby Keith worked as a rodeo hand while in high school. After graduation, he found work in the nearby oil fields. At the same time Toby Keith formed the Easy Money Band and played Alabama-style country-rock in area honky tonks. Toby Keith played semipro football for a United States Football League farm team when the oil industry slowed down. Two years later he decided to concentrate on music.

When a demo tape found its way to onetime Alabama producer Harold Shedd, he helped Toby Keith land a deal with Mercury Records. He followed up his 1993 debut with Boomtown, released in late 1994. "Who's That Man," the lead single from his second album, became Toby Keith's second No. 1. Toby Keith continued producing Top Ten hits but felt as if he could do better.

In 1999, Mercury dropped him and Toby Keith followed producer James Stroud to the Nashville division of DreamWorks. How Do You Like Me Now?, appeared in late 1999 and started to bring Toby Keith wider recognition with two No. 1 hits. The title cut also brought Toby Keith his first Top 40 pop hit. The new album had a rough, brash attitude that fit Toby Keith better. In 2001, the Academy of Country Music named Toby Keith Male Vocalist of the Year and awarded him Album of the Year.

Toby Keith became more visible in the mainstream media making television and commercial cameos. Pull My Chain, released in August 2001, topped the country charts and became the first Toby Keith Top Ten pop album. It added three No. 1 singles to the list of Toby Keith's accomplishments. Then came the controversy surrounding "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue." Unleashed was released in 2002, debuting at No. 1 on both the country and pop charts and producing another No. 1 country hit. In 2003, Toby Keith released Shock'n Y'All, following in May 2005 with Honkytonk University.

After Dreamworks was acquired by the parent company of Mercury, Toby Keith negotiated a release from his contract and established his own label Show Dog Nashville. The new album White Trash with Money is the first release on the label. His co-producer for this project is Lari White, an acclaimed singer and songwriter who had a gold country album in the mid ‘90s. Toby Keith also opened his own chain of I Love This Bar & Grill restaurants. Toby Keith is filming his first major motion picture Angel of Montgomery costarring Kelly Preston. This is the first of a three-picture deal in place with Paramount.

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