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Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961) is an American country music singer-songwriter who has enjoyed commercial success throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Five of his albums have reached number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and he has had sixteen Number One singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. In addition, he starred in the 2006 film Broken Bridges. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Camp Le Monier is a United States Marine Corps Base situated in Djibouti and is home to Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Clinton is a city located in Custer County, Oklahoma. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Country music, the first half of Billboards country and western music category, is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... Rhythm guitar is a guitar that is primarily used to provide rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment for a singer or for other instruments in an ensemble. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... 1920s vintage Polydor export label with its double-horn gramophone logo In 1954 Polydor Records introduced their distinctive orange label. ... A&M Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Universal Music Group. ... Mercury Records is a record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. ... When David Geffen sold his Geffen Records to MCA Records he joined Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg to form Dreamworks SKG, with subsidiary DreamWorks Records. ... Show Dog Nashville is a country music record label launched in 2005 by singer-songwriter superstar Toby Keith. ... Scotty Emerick (born June 11, 1973) is an American country music singer-songwriter born in Hollywood, Florida. ... Lindsey Haun (born November 21, 1984 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress, country music singer and the former lead vocalist of hard rock band 7th Fall. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Country music, the first half of Billboards country and western music category, is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... On January 4, 1936, Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade and on July 20, 1940 the first Music Popularity Chart was calculated. ... Hot Country Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. ... Broken Bridges is a 2006 film starring Toby Keith and Kelly Preston. ...

Biography

Toby Keith Covel was born in Clinton, Oklahoma to H.K. Covel and Joan Covel. He has a sister, Tonni, and a brother, Tracy. His family moved to Moore, Oklahoma (a suburb of Oklahoma City) when Keith was young. His grandmother owned a supper club and Keith became interested in the musicians who came there to play. He got his first guitar at the age of eight. Keith attended Highland West Junior High and Moore High School where he played on the football team. Clinton is a city located in Custer County, Oklahoma. ... Moore is a rapidly growing suburb in Cleveland County, Oklahoma and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. ... OKC redirects here. ... A supper club is an American dining establishment which provides a supper menu of steaks or surf and turf served in a semi-formal setting, which may require a jacket and tie. ... “Instrumentalist” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ...

Keith graduated from Moore High School and, in 1979, went to work as a derrick hand in the booming oil fields of Oklahoma. He worked his way up to become an operation manager. At the age of 20, he formed the Easy Money band and they played local bars as he continued to work in the oil industry. At times, he would have to leave in the middle of a gig if he was paged to work in the oil field. Drilling rig in a small oil field Near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 An oil field is an area with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum (oil) from below ground. ... For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ... In music, a band is a group of musicians, or musical ensemble, usually popular or folk, playing parts of a musical arrangement. ... For the album by The Cure, see Concert (album). ...

In 1982, the oil industry in Oklahoma began a rapid decline and Keith soon found himself unemployed. He fell back on his football training and played defensive end with the semi-pro Oklahoma City Drillers while continuing to perform with his band. (The Drillers were an unofficial farm club of the United States Football League's Oklahoma Outlaws; Keith tried out for the Outlaws but did not make the team.) After two years with the Drillers, Keith decided to try music full time. His family and friends were doubtful he would succeed, but in 1984, Easy Money began playing the honky tonk circuit in Oklahoma and Texas. The band cut a single titled Blue Moon and the song received some airplay on local radio stations in Oklahoma. A farm team, or farm club, generally refers to a minor league baseball league which are at a lower pay level and play in smaller cities and towns than do Major League Baseball, and which are under the control of the two major leagues and are used for development of... “USFL” redirects here. ... Honky tonk was originally the name of a type of bar common throughout the southern United States, also Honkatonk or Honkey-tonk. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ...

Also in 1984, Keith married his wife, Tricia. He is the father of three children; Shelley (born 1981; adopted stepdaughter), Krystal (born 1984), and Stelen (born 1997). An avid University of Oklahoma football fan, Keith is often seen at Oklahoma Sooners games and practices. University of Oklahoma, abbreviated OU, is a coeducational public research university located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. ... The University of Oklahoma features 17 varsity sports teams. ...

On 24 March 2001 Keith's father was killed in a car accident on interstate 35. On 25 December 2007 the Covel family was awarded $2.8 million for the wrongful death of H.K.Covel. Elias and Pedro Rodriguez, operators of Rodriguez Transportes of Tulsa, and the Republic Western Insurance Co were found liable as they failed to properly equip the truck with properly working air brakes.

Career

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In 1993, Keith went to Nashville, Tennessee. Keith hung out and busked on Music Row and at a place called Houndogs. He distributed copies of a demo tape the band had made to the many record companies in the city. There was no interest by any of the record labels and Keith returned home feeling depressed. Keith had promised himself to have a recording contract by the time he was 30 years old or give up on music as a career. He had already passed that age without any prospects for a recording contract. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Nashville redirects here. ... For other uses, see demo. ... The record industry is the part of the music industry that earns profit by selling sound recordings of music. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ...

Fortunately for Keith, a flight attendant and fan of his gave a copy of Keith's demo tape to Harold Shedd, a Mercury Records executive, while he was traveling on a flight she was working. Shedd enjoyed what he heard, went to see Keith perform live and then signed him to a recording contract with Mercury. His debut single, "Should've Been a Cowboy" (1993), went to number 1 on the Billboard country singles chart, and his self-titled debut album was certified platinum. Other hit singles included "A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action" and "Wish I Didn't Know Now". Flight attendant in an Embraer ERJ 145 LR of PBair, Thailand In aviation, flight attendants - formerly known as sky girls, stews, air hostesses, stewardesses or stewards - are members of a flight crew employed by airlines to ensure the safety and comfort of the passengers aboard commercial flights. ... Mercury Records is a record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. ... Shouldve Been a Cowboy is a song by American country music artist Toby Keith. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. ...

Keith moved briefly to Polydor Records and released his next two albums, Boomtown (1994) and Blue Moon (1996). The albums went gold and platinum respectively. In 1996, Keith was also featured on the Beach Boys' now out-of-print 1996 album Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 performing a cover of their 1963 hit Be True to Your School with the Beach Boys themselves providing the harmonies and backing vocals. 1920s vintage Polydor export label with its double-horn gramophone logo In 1954 Polydor Records introduced their distinctive orange label. ... In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. ... The Beach Boys, originally the Beech Boys, a small team of four brothers from the south of Poland, emigrated to America in the early 1950s in search of a fortune to be made in the Arizonian logging industry. When it soon became evident they had been the victims of... Stars And Stripes Vol. ...

Polydor folded and Keith moved back to Mercury Records (now called Mercury Nashville), and released his fourth album, Dream Walkin' (1997). The album featured a duet with Sting, "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying", which had previously been a hit for Sting himself. This article is about the musician. ...

Toby Keith

Keith began work on his next album How Do You Like Me Now (1999) at Mercury but purchased the rights to the album and moved to DreamWorks Nashville because of creative differences with Mercury.^{[citation needed]} The first single off How Do You Like Me Now failed to make the Top 40 on the country charts. However, the follow-up single, which was the album's title track, went on to spend five weeks at number one, helping boost the album's sales to double platinum. Download high resolution version (1125x1500, 199 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1125x1500, 199 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... When David Geffen sold his Geffen Records to MCA Records he joined Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg to form Dreamworks SKG, with subsidiary DreamWorks Records. ...

Keith also began doing a series of television advertisements for Telecom USA for their discount long distance telephone service 10-10-220. Because of the ads and his latest hit album, Keith became a superstar and household name. He also starred in Ford commercials, singing original songs such as "Ford Truck Man" and "Field Trip (Look Again)" while driving Ford trucks. This is about the Arabic television series. ... “Ford” redirects here. ...

Keith made an appearance at the very first Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (then NWA-TNA) weekly pay-per-view on June 19, 2002, where his playing of Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue was interrupted by Jeff Jarrett. He would later enter the Gauntlet for the Gold main event specifically to eliminate Jarrett from the match. He would appear the next week, on June 26, and help Scott Hall defeat Jarrett in singles action. Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and his father Jerry Jarrett in May 2002. ... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... For the former Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy, see Jeffrey D. Jarrett. ... The Gauntlet Match as defined by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a battle royal-style match. ... This article is about the professional wrestler. ...

Keith was the subject of the January, 2005 issue of Playboy Magazine's Playboy Interview. That year, Keith toured with rock guitarist Ted Nugent, whom Keith met in Iraq while they were both performing in USO-sponsored shows for the coalition troops. For other uses, see Playboy (disambiguation). ... Theodore Ted Nugent (born December 13, 1948) (a. ... The United Service Organizations The United Service Organizations Inc. ...

On August 31, 2005, Keith parted ways with Universal Music Group- which had since bought DreamWorks- and launched his own record label called Show Dog Nashville. Its first release was Keith's album White Trash With Money, followed by the soundtrack to Broken Bridges. Big Dog Daddy, the album that birthed his single High Maintenance Woman, was released on June 12th, 2007. The album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 charts, his third album to reach this feat, after "Unleashed" and "Shock'n Y'all" is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Universal Music Group (UMG) is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. ... Show Dog Nashville is a country music record label launched in 2005 by singer-songwriter superstar Toby Keith. ... Broken Bridges is a 2006 film starring Toby Keith and Kelly Preston. ... Big Dog Daddy is the twelfth studio album released by country singer Toby Keith. ...

In the Autumn of 2005, he filmed Broken Bridges, written by Cherie Bennett and Jeff Gottesfeld, and directed by Steven Goldmann. This feature film from Paramount/CMT Films was released on September 8, 2006. A contemporary story set in small-town Tennessee, Keith plays Bo Price, a country musician whose career has seen better times. The movie also stars Kelly Preston, Burt Reynolds, and Tess Harper. Broken Bridges is a 2006 film starring Toby Keith and Kelly Preston. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kelly Kamalelehua Palzis Preston-Travolta (born October 13, 1962) is an American actress, also known for being the wife of actor John Travolta. ... Burton Leon Reynolds, Jr. ... Tessie Jean Washam (born August 15, 1950), better known as Tess Harper, is an American actress. ...

In 2005, Keith opened Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in Bricktown, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Bricktown Canal Once a major warehouse district and the original site of the city, Bricktown is a growing entertainment district in downtown Oklahoma City. ... OKC redirects here. ...

Keith is continuing his Hookin' Up & Hangin' Out Tour, sponsored by Ford trucks, in Albany, New York, with guests Flynnville Train, Lindsey Haun, and Miranda Lambert, which wraps up in Hartford, Connecticut Ford may mean a number of things: A ford is a river crossing. ... For other uses, see Albany. ... Flynnville Train is a five-piece country music band currently on tour with Toby Keith on his Big Dog Daddy Tour. ... Lindsey Haun (born November 21, 1984 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress, country music singer and the former lead vocalist of hard rock band 7th Fall. ... Miranda Lambert (born November 10, 1983 in Longview, Texas) is an American country singer/songwriter who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, a talent show on USA Networks. ... Hartford redirects here. ...

Keith is currently writing a script for a movie based on his and Willie Nelson's 2003 hit Beer for My Horses[1]. Willie Nelson (born Willie Hugh Nelson, April 30, 1933) is an American entertainer and songwriter, born and raised in Abbott, Texas. ... Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961) is an American country music singer-songwriter. ...

Toby Keith was given a boost when he appeared on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. Mr. Keith holds the distinction of being the only musical artist to have received a five star rating from Steven Colbert on I-Tunes.

It has been announced that Toby Keith will release a third Greatest Hits collection including all his hits from 1993-2005, along with the soundtrack to his new film and a new studio album in 2008. No release dates have been announced.^[1]

Personal convictions and controversies

Keith considers himself "a Conservative Democrat who is sometimes embarrassed for his party." He endorsed the re-election of President George W. Bush in 2004 and performed at a Dallas, Texas rally on the night before the election. Keith also endorsed Democrat Dan Boren in his successful run in Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional district and is good friends with Democratic New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. In American politics, a Conservative Democrat is a Democratic Party member with conservative political views. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dallas redirects here. ... David Daniel Dan Boren (born August 2, 1973) is a Democratic U.S. politician from the state of Oklahoma, representing Oklahomas 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives (map). ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... This is a list of Governors of the state of New Mexico (est. ... William Blaine Bill Richardson (born November 15, 1947) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. ...

In a January 2007 interview with Newsday, Keith was asked whether or not he supported the Iraq War. He responded with "Never did." He favors setting a time limit on the campaign. He also said, "I don't apologize for being patriotic... If there is something socially incorrect about being patriotic and supporting your troops, then they can kiss my [ass] on that, because I'm not going to budge on that at all. And that has nothing to do with politics. Politics is what's killing America." [2] For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ...

The Angry American song

On March 24, 2001, Keith’s father, H.K. Covel, was killed in a car accident. That event and the September 11, 2001 attacks prompted Keith to write the song "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)", a song about his father’s patriotism and faith in the USA. At first, Keith refused to record the song and sang it only live at his concerts for military personnel. The reaction was so strong that the Commandant of the Marine Corps James L. Jones told Keith it was his duty as an American citizen to record the song.^[2] As the lead single from the album Unleashed (2002), "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue" peaked at number 1 over the weekend of July 4. is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... In an accident resulting from excessive speed, this concrete truck rolled over into the front garden of a house. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American) is a song that was written and performed by American country music singer Toby Keith. ... The Commandant of the United States Marine Corps is the highest ranking officer of the United States Marine Corps and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reporting to the Secretary of the Navy but not to the Chief of Naval Operations. ... General James Logan Jones, Jr. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Toby Keith visits with fans during brief breaks in filming the music video "American Soldier" in hangar 1600 at Edwards Air Force Base, November 17, 2003.

ABC invited Keith to sing "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue" on a patriotic special it was producing. However, the host of the show, newsman Peter Jennings, requested that Keith soften the lyrics of the song or choose another song to sing.^{[citation needed]} Keith refused both of the requests and did not appear on the special. The rift gave the song a considerable amount of publicity, which led to many national interviews and public performances of the song. Toby Keith visits with fans during brief breaks in filming the music video American Soldier in hangar 1600 at Edwards Air Force Base, November 17, 2003. ... Toby Keith visits with fans during brief breaks in filming the music video American Soldier in hangar 1600 at Edwards Air Force Base, November 17, 2003. ... Edwards Air Force Base (IATA: EDW, ICAO: KEDW) is a United States Air Force airbase located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, 7 miles (11 km) due east of Rosamond. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. ... Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings, CM (July 29, 1938 – August 7, 2005) was a Canadian-American journalist and news anchor. ... Look up lyrics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Feud with the Dixie Chicks

Keith had a public feud with the Dixie Chicks over the song "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue", as well as over comments they made about President George W. Bush on stage during a concert in London. The lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, publicly stated that Keith's song was "ignorant, and it makes country music sound ignorant."[3] Keith responded by belittling Maines' songwriting skills, and by displaying a backdrop at his concerts showing a doctored photo of Maines with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. On May 21, 2003, Maines wore a T-shirt with the letters FUTK on the front at the Academy of Country Music Awards. [4] While a spokesperson for the Dixie Chicks said that the acronym stood for "Friends United in Truth and Kindness," many including host Vince Gill took it to be a shot at Keith ("Fuck You Toby Keith"). In August 2003, Keith publicly declared he was done feuding with Maines 'because he's realized there are far more important things to concentrate on'.[5] However, he continues to refuse to say Maines' name, and claims that the doctored photo was intended to express his feeling that Maines' criticism was tyrannical and a dictator-like attempt to squelch Keith's free speech.[6] The Dixie Chicks are a country/rock music trio from the United States comprising Emily Robison, Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Natalie Louise Maines Pasdar (born October 14, 1974) is an American singer and songwriter who achieved success as the lead vocalist for the female country music band Dixie Chicks. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California. ... Vince Gill (born Vincent Grant Gill[1], April 12, 1957) is an American neotraditional country musician, songwriter, and singer. ...

In the 2006 film Shut Up and Sing, Maines admitted that the FUTK shirt was in fact a shot at Toby Keith, after once claiming that it meant Freedom Understanding Truth and Kindness. In an October 2004 appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, Natalie finally acknowledged that it was indeed an obscene shot at Toby Keith, and that she "thought that nobody would get it."^[3] Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing (also known simply as Shut Up and Sing) is a documentary film produced and directed by Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck. ...

Discography

Notable awards

• Academy of Country Music (ACM) - Album of the Year (2000) How Do You Like Me Now
• Country Music Association (CMA) - Male Vocalist of the Year (2001)
• Academy of Country Music - Entertainer of the Year (2002)
• Academy of Country Music - Entertainer of the Year (2003)
• Academy of Country Music - Top Male Vocalist (2003)
• Academy of Country Music - Album of the Year (2003) Shock'n Y'all
• Academy of Country Music - Video of the Year (2003) Beer For My Horses (with Willie Nelson)
• American Music Award (AMA) - Favorite Country Male Artist (2004)
• Country Music Association - Video of the Year (2005) As Good As I Once Was
• American Music Award - 7-time consecutive nominee as of 2007

The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California. ... The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. ... Willie Nelson (born Willie Hugh Nelson, April 30, 1933) is an American entertainer and songwriter, born and raised in Abbott, Texas. ... The American Music Awards show is one of four annual major US music awards shows (the others being the Billboard Music Awards, the Grammy Awards, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony). ... The 32nd annual American Music Awards were held on November 14, 2004 (see 2004 in music). ...

Notes

Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Toby Keith official website