Toby Keith

Like most musicians, Toby Keith Covel picked up a guitar at an early age - he began playing at eight years old. After graduating from high school in 1979, Toby landed a job as a roughneck in the lucrative Oklahoma oil fields, eventually getting promoted to a managerial position. In his free time, Toby played gigs at local bars with his Easy Money Band, but his shows were often interrupted or cancelled as he was constantly being called back into work.

In 1982, the Oklahoma oil industry fell on hard times and Toby lost his job to layoffs. A former high-school football star, he played defensive end with the semi-professional Oklahoma City Drillers (a farm team for the now defunct United States Football League) for two years until giving up on football and deciding to get back into music. His Easy Money band enjoyed some regional success in Oklahoma, but the band fell apart by the end of the 1980’s.

No stranger to failure, Keith responded by moving to Nashville in 1993, hoping to make a name for himself in the country music capital of America. He busked and bartended on the local honkey-tonk scene, and gave his demo tape to all the record companies in Nashville. Though none showed interest, an executive for Mercury Records on a transatlantic flight was given a copy of Toby’s demo by a friendly flight attendant. The executive flew back to Nashville and signed him to a recording contract on the spot.

Toby Keith Photos


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  • cbaby1 on Thu Jul 30th, 2009 said...

    So many great videos missing. Wish you had his 21st #1 song As good as I once was. Love ya Toby!!
  • kara.legrand on Wed Nov 19th, 2008 said...

    i dont just love one of your song's but..., i absolutely love 'em' all..., toby, you're a great person.......
  • tblaney on Wed Nov 19th, 2008 said...

    I just love the song She Never Cried in Front Of Me