Toby Keith

The Okie with Attitude

Toby Keith Covel was born on July 8, 1961 in Clinton, Oklahoma. Growing up, Toby was inspired by the outlaw country music of artists like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard. After briefly playing football in college, Toby moved to Nashville in 1993 to pursue a career in country music.

Early on, Toby struggled to get record labels interested in his music, which had a rougher, honky-tonk sound compared to the pop-country dominating the charts in the 90s. After an employee at Mercury Records heard his demo, Toby finally got a record deal in 1998 at age 36.

His first single “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” shot up the charts and his debut album Toby Keith went platinum. Toby’s music stood out for its blue-collar themes and unapologetic attitude. Songs like “How Do You Like Me Now?!” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” established Toby as a no-nonsense patriot with a rebellious streak.

Over his career, Toby has released 21 studio albums and charted over 60 singles on the Billboard Hot Country charts. He’s won several major awards including CMA Entertainer of the Year twice (2002, 2003) and the ACM Artist of the Decade for the 2000s. Some of his most popular albums include Pull My Chain, Shock’n Y’all and Honkytonk University.

While best known for his solo work, Toby has also collaborated with other artists like Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, Sheryl Crow and many others. Outside of music, he has opened restaurants like ‘I Love This Bar & Grill’ and launched his own spirits brand Wild Shot mezcal.

With his unmistakable voice and no-apologies lyrics, Toby Keith became one of the biggest stars in country music through a mix of talent and sheer determination. His working-class roots and patriotic anthems have endeared him to millions of fans for over two decades. Though now in his 60s, the Okie from Muskogee continues churning out new music and cementing his status as a country legend.

Discography

Albums

  • A Toby Keith Classic Christmas Volume One (2007-10-23)
  • White Tra$h With Money (2006-04-11)
  • Drinks After Work (2013-10-29)
  • Toby Keith (1993-04-20)
  • Shock'n Y'All (2003-11-04)
  • Should've Been a Cowboy (25th Anniversary Edition) (2018-11-30)
  • A Classic Christmas (2007)
  • Dream Walkin' (1997-06-04)
  • Unleashed (2002-07-23)
  • Boomtown (1994)
  • Clancy's Tavern (2011-10-24)
  • Christmas to Christmas (1995-10-17)
  • 35 mph Town (2015-10-09)
  • Honkytonk University (2005-05-17)
  • Big Dog Daddy (2007-06-12)
  • That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy (2008-10-28)
  • Hope on the Rocks (2012-10-30)
  • How Do You Like Me Now?! (1999-11-02)
  • Peso in My Pocket (2021-10-15)
  • Bullets in the Gun (2010-10-04)
  • American Ride (2009-10-06)
  • A Toby Keith Classic Christmas Volume Two (2007-10-23)
  • Toby Keith (1993-04-20)
  • Pull My Chain (2001-08-10)
  • Blue Moon (1996-04)
  • The Bus Songs (2017-09-08)

Singles

  • The Worst Country Song of All Time (2021-06-18)
  • As Good as I Once Was (2005)
  • I Like Girls That Drink Beer (2012-07-24)
  • American Soldier (2003)
  • Should've Been a Cowboy ()
  • Drinks After Work (2013-06-25)
  • Red Solo Cup (2011)
  • Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American) ()
  • Rock You Baby (2002)
  • What's Up Cuz (2020-04-03)
  • Old School (2021-06-25)
  • Santa’s Going South (2011-11-08)
  • A Few More Cowboys (2020-09-02)
  • Oklahoma Breakdown (2022-06-01)