If there’s one thing Toby Keith was never afraid to do it was stand up for the country he so dearly loved.
The 90’s country star passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his family and friends last night at the age of 62. He’s survived by his wife, Tricia, three children, and four grandchildren.
While some view him as the songwriter and artist behind 20 number 1’s, including the most played country song of the 90’s “Should Have Been A Cowboy”, others view him as a controversial figure, centered around his public dispute with the Dixie Chicks (now just The Chicks) back in 2003.
In short, Toby and The Chicks had a vastly different opinion on the Iraq War that naturally spiraled out of control until supporters on both sides just blindly hated the others, which is an unfortunate, but common, occurrence in today’s world. Natalie Maines, lead singer of The Chicks, was the most vocal on the issue and even wore a shirt with “FUTK” on it, which she later confirmed stood for “F*ck You Toby Keith”.
As you can imagine, both Toby and Natalie got a lot of flack for their stances and both of their opinions inevitably ended up being twisted and blown out of proportion, but regardless of who was right or wrong in that moment, one thing about Toby never changed.
He always loved and wanted the best for America.
In fact, during the first show he played after his cancer diagnosis, he spoke to the crowd during a performance of “Courtesy Of The Red White And Blue” and safe to say, just that one line got the people going.
“Never apologize for being patriotic. F*ck em.”
That right there is Toby Keith in a nutshell.
There’s no denying the star-power that Toby carried or the influence he held in the 90’s and aughts within country music and American culture. We can argue over details and get lost in the weeds, but one thing is absolutely for certain: Toby Keith was never afraid to be patriotic.
RIP Big Dog Daddy.
@countrymusicamerica “Dont apologize for being patriotic, fuck em” – TK #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #music #country #countrymusic #usa #independenceday #4thofjuly #america #tobykeith #rap #hiphop #now #dance ♬ Chill Vibes – Tollan Kim
