- Born
- Died
- Birth nameToby Keith Covel
- Height6′ 4″ (1.93 m)
- Born July 8, 1961, Toby Keith Covel was the second child of Joan and Hubert Keith ("H. K.") Covel. He was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, and grew up with his brother Tracy and sister Tonnie in Moore, Oklahoma. After graduating from Moore High School, he didn't go on to college, but went to work in the Oklahoma oil fields with his father. He later met and married Tricia Lucas, whose child, Shelley Reeve, he adopted. He later had two children with Tricia -- daughter Krystal (born 1985, married in 2011) and son Stelen (born in 1997).
When Krystal was born, the Oklahoma oil industry had collapsed; leaving Toby, Tricia, and their two daughters in financial troubles. Touring with his band, the Easy Money Band, he got them all out of debt. After signing a deal at Mercury Records, his debut album "Toby Keith", which contained his first chart topper, "Should've Been a Cowboy", finally established him as a professional singer-songwriter. He then left Mercury for a period of three years. Coming back in 1997, he released his final studio album for Mercury, "Dream Walkin".
A year after his first Greatest Hits compilation came out from Mercury, he and producer James Stroud, left the label. He then signed a deal with DreamWorks Records, headed by his producer. Since releasing his fifth album, "How Do You Like Me Now?!", and its title track (written by Toby and Chuck Cannon); the then-DreamWorks, now-Showdog Tunes-signed singer and BMI-affiliated songwriter saw success like never before.
That success can be measured with at least five more studio albums since "How Do You Like Me Now?", more #1 singles, Academy of Country Music Awards (including two "Entertainer of the Year" awards) and other kinds of awards, and another Greatest Hits compilation (including songs from albums "How Do You Like Me Now?", "Pull My Chain", and "Unleashed", and a cover of "Mockingbird" with his daughter Krystal, who released her debut album in December 2011). He opened his own record label, the aforementioned Showdog Tunes.
Tragically, Toby Keith died after a battle with cancer at age 62 on February 5, 2024 in his beloved native Oklahoma.
- IMDb mini biography by: Nickidewbear@aol.com
- SpousePatricia "Tricia" Lucas(March 24, 1984 - February 5, 2024) (his death, 3 children)
- ChildrenShelley Covel RowlandStelen Keith CovelKrystal Keith
- Many of his songs are either about having good times or are patriotic and allegedly-right-wing political commentaries, though he is a known Democrat and has supported both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
- His bandanna on his head
- His straw cowboy hat
- Does look like Chuck Norris
- Before singing country music, was a semi-pro footballer player. He played defensive end.
- His first single, "I Should Have Been a Cowboy" was named by Billboard Magazine, the most played Country song of the 1990s.
- His daughter is country singer-songwriter Krystal "Krystal Keith" Covel Sandubrae. Born Krystal LaDawn Covel in 1986, she married Andrew Sandubrae on October 23, 2010. He also has a son, Stelen Keith Covel, and an adopted daughter, Shelley Covel Rowland.
- Wife Tricia is a Republican in contrast to her Democrat-turned-Independent husband.
- Started his own band, "the Easy Money Band", and played in honky tonks all across America before making it big.
- Here's the thing. Just because you're pro-troops doesn't mean you're pro-war. And just because you're anti-war doesn't mean you're anti-troops. Just because you don't support the war people think you are anti-troops and you are a bad guy. And just because you go support the troops and rah-rah the troops up all of a sudden you're pro-war. Those are the two biggest misconceptions of the whole thing
- I always vote for the guy I think can get it done. And it ain't nobody's business who I vote for, but I voted for Clinton twice. And that just blows peoples minds when they hear that.
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