COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER TOBY KEITH PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 62.

Toby Keith, a famous country singer known for his patriotic songs, has passed away at the age of 62. He wrote songs that stirred up both praise and criticism, but had millions of fans.

He died peacefully on Monday, surrounded by his family, after battling stomach cancer. He shared his diagnosis in 2022 and fought bravely.

Standing tall at 6-foot-4, Toby Keith became popular in the 1990s with songs like “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” Throughout his career, he didn’t shy away from disagreements with other celebrities or the media. He also resisted pressure from record labels to change his style.

Toby Keith was famous for his strong patriotism, especially in songs like “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” He also sang fun songs for bars like “I Love This Bar” and “Red Solo Cup.” He had a big, powerful voice and a sense of humor that showed in his music.

He had many hit songs, including “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “As Good As I Once Was,” “My List,” and “Beer for My Horses,” which he sang with Willie Nelson. His music was influenced by other hardworking songwriters like Merle Haggard. He had over 60 songs on the Hot Country chart.

Even while he was getting cancer treatments, Toby Keith kept performing. He played in Las Vegas in December and sang at the People’s Choice Country Awards in 2023 with his song “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”

He once said, “Cancer is a roller coaster. You just sit here and wait on it to go away. It might never go away.”

Before becoming a singer, Toby Keith worked in the oil fields of Oklahoma and played semi-pro football.

“I write about life, and I sing about life, and I don’t overanalyze things,” Toby Keith said in 2001.

Keith learned valuable lessons while working in the busy oil fields. It toughened him up and taught him the importance of money.

He made a lot of money in the oil fields when he was just a teenager. He got a job right out of high school that paid him $50,000 a year, which was a lot back then.

But then the oil industry in the country went downhill, and Keith hadn’t saved much. He said, “It about broke us.” So, he learned from that experience and started being careful with his money.

After that, he played football for a bit with the Oklahoma City Drillers. But he found more stable money playing music with his band around Oklahoma and Texas.

Music became his constant passion, even when things were tough. But he didn’t have any connections to help him become successful in the music industry at first.

After some time, Toby Keith went to Nashville. There, Harold Shedd, who was in charge of Mercury Records and known for his work with the band Alabama, noticed him. Shedd brought Toby to Mercury, and in 1993, Toby released his first big album called “Toby Keith,” which went platinum.

One of his most famous songs, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” was played a lot on the radio, becoming the most played country song of the 1990s with 3 million plays.