Remembering Toby Keith: A Career In Photos
Toby Keith #TobyKeith
Toby Keith, who died February 5 of cancer at 62, was among America’s most popular country acts for more than 25 years.
A former a rodeo hand, oil field worker and semi-pro football player, the Oklahoman singer-songwriter and guitarist broke out with his debut 1993 anthem “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” which launched a string of smash singles that would stretch into the 2010s. He racked up 36 Top 10 country hits during that span, including a whopping 20 that topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs and spent a combined 54 weeks at No. 1. He also had a dozen Top 40 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100, led by “Beer For My Horses” and “Who’s Your Daddy?,” both of which peaked at No. 22 in 2003.
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His other best-known songs include “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” “I Wanna Talk About Me,” “My List,” “How Do You Like Me Now?,” “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This,” “I Love This Bar,” “American Soldier” and “As Good As I Once Was.” His last chart-topper was “Made in America.”
He released 19 studio, two Christmas and five compilation albums, a dozen of which were million-sellers. Ranked the No. 1 country artist of 2000-06, he topped the Billboard 200 four times during the 2000s with Unleashed, Shock ‘n Y’all, Big Dog Daddy and Bullets in the Gun. Ten others hits the Top 10.
He sold more than 25 million albums in the U.S. alone and 40 million worldwide across his career.
Keith also was a part-time actor, with credits including the 2005 drama Broken Bridges, in which he played a washed-up country musician living in small-town Tennessee. He also wrote and starred in the 2008 movie Beer for My Horses, based on his hit.
Scroll through a photo gallery of Keith’s stellar career below.
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Toby Keith performs at Shoreline Amphitheatre on October 14, 1993, in Mountain View, CA
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Toby Keith
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Country singer Toby Keith performs at the Pond in Anaheim
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Toby Keith during the 32nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards
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Toby Keith, wife Tricia Covel and son Stelen Covel at the Universal Amphitheatre in 1998
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Toby Keith at the 34th annual Academy of Country Music Awards at Universal Ampitheate
Image Credit: Brett Coomer/Special to The Chronicle) (Photo by Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Toby Keith performs at the KIKK/KILT Country Jam on October 28, 2000, in The Woodlands, Texas
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Toby Keith at the 36th annual Academy of Country Music Awards
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Toby Keith during the 36th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards
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Toby Keith sings with armed service members behind him on the field before an NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans on September 8, 2002
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Toby Keith rehearses for the 2002 Academy of Country Music Awards
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Dolly Parton and Toby Keith during 2003 BMI Country Music Awards in Nashville
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Willie Nelson and Toby Keith perform “Beer for My Horses” at the 38th annual Academy of Country Music Awards
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Kris Kristofferson and Toby Keith at 2003 BMI Country Music Awards in Nashville
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Toby Keith onstage at Staples Center in Los Angeles
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Willie Nelson and Toby Keith perform during the Super Bowl XXXVIII pre-game show entitled “Welcome to Houston — The Spirit of Texas”
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Toby Keith won Favorite Male Country Artist and Favorite Country Album at the American Music Awards.
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Toby Keith, right, and Scotty Emerick perform during USO performance at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq, in May 2005. A portion of their show was played during the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas later that night
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Toby Keith in concert at Reliant Stadium in Houston
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Toby Keith performs during the 42nd annual Academy Of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas
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Toby Keith performs Breeders’ Cup Grey Goose Winners Circle Party at KFC Yum! Center on November 4, 2010, in Louisville, KY
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Toby Keith performs during the Oklahoma Twister Relief Concert at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on July 6, 2013, in Norman, OK
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Toby Keith poses backstage at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 46th annual Induction and Awards at Marriott Marquis in New York
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Toby Keith performs during the 34th annual Nashville Symphony Ball at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on December 8, 2018, in Nashville
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Toby Keith performs onstage during the 2021 iHeartCountry Festival Presented By Capital One at The Frank Erwin Center on October 30, 2021, in Austin
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Toby Keith performs on stage during the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards held at the Grand Ole Opry House on September 28, 2023 in Nashville