Toby Keith

Toby Keith Covel was born on July 8, 1961, in Clinton, Oklahoma, to Joan and Hubert Keith ("H. K.") Covel. He was the second of three children, with a brother named Tracy and a sister named Tonnie. The family later moved to Moore, Oklahoma, where Toby grew up. After graduating from Moore High School, he did not attend college but instead began working in the Oklahoma oil fields alongside his father. He later married Tricia Lucas, and together they adopted her daughter, Shelley Reeve, and had two children of their own: daughter Krystal, born in 1985 and married in 2011, and son Stelen, born in 1997. At the time of Krystal's birth, the Oklahoma oil industry was in decline, and the family faced financial difficulties. Toby helped them out of debt by touring with his band, the Easy Money Band. After signing with Mercury Records, his debut album "Toby Keith" launched his music career, featuring his first chart-topping single, "Should've Been a Cowboy." He left Mercury for three years before returning in 1997 to release his final Mercury studio album, "Dream Walkin." A year after the release of his first Mercury Greatest Hits compilation, he and producer James Stroud departed the label. He then signed with DreamWorks Records, which was led by Stroud. His fifth album, "How Do You Like Me Now?!", and its title track, co-written by Toby and Chuck Cannon, marked a major turning point in his career. As a Showdog Tunes-signed artist and BMI-affiliated songwriter, he achieved widespread success, including five additional studio albums, multiple number one singles, and multiple Academy of Country Music Awards, including two "Entertainer of the Year" awards. He also released another Greatest Hits compilation, featuring tracks from "How Do You Like Me Now?", "Pull My Chain," and "Unleashed," as well as a cover of "Mockingbird" with his daughter Krystal, who released her debut album in December 2011. Toby Keith founded his own record label, Showdog Tunes. He passed away on February 5, 2024, at the age of 62 in Oklahoma, his home state.