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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZKEITH, Toby(b Toby Keith Covel, 8 July 1961, Clinton OK; d 5 February 2024) Former rodeo hand, oil field worker and semi-pro football player who became a successful country singer and songwriter early '90s following more than a dozen years playing the local Oklahoma bar-band circuit. He recorded with his own Easy Money band for local independent labels '87-90; producer Harold Shedd signed him to Mercury-Nashville '91; debut single 'Should've Been A Cowboy' was a no. 1 country hit '93; since then a regular in country top ten with 'He Ain't Worth Missing' '93, 'Who's That Man' no. 1 '94, 'You Ain't Much Fun' '95, 'Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine On You' '96. He moved through Polygram labels Polydor, A&M-Nashville, back to Mercury-Nashville as the company tried to set up a second Nashville label; this had little effect on sales as all his albums were hits, self-titled debut '93 and Boomtown '95 among the biggest. Addenda: He was his own boss, didn't take any nonsense, and was also very patriotic. He had been diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2022. He had 20 number one country hits, and sold 60 million records.
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