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Carrie Underwood: One of The ‘Best Things’ About Toby Keith

Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group

Carrie Underwood has always been a big fan of Toby Keith and his music. Before his death last week (2/6), she was one of the country music stars to honor Toby at the BMI Country Awards in 2022.

Carrie told us of Keith one week after his passing, “There are so many things that can be said about Mr. Toby Keith. I mean, obviously, he has had such a monumental career. He has some of the biggest songs that ever were or probably ever will be in country music, and obviously, he has built up that legacy for himself that will live on.”

The country superstar continued, “But I think one of the best things about Toby is his love for Oklahoma. He’s a proud Okie, and I feel like that’s something that always connected us. We’d talk about it. He’s one of the ones who never left. No matter how big and famous he got, he was gonna stay in Oklahoma, and he was always the first one there when disaster would strike – a tornado or whatever it was. He was the first one trying to rally the troops or raise money or help out in any way he could.”

Underwood concluded, “I feel like that’s one of the things that I respect the most about him; he never forgot where he came from and has been such a stellar example to the rest of us to do the same. He will be missed, but I know full well where he is right now. He’s with Jesus, and I, for one, look forward to hearing him sing again someday.”

RELATED: Luke, Lainey, and Dolly Honor Toby Keith

Toby’s family will be holding a memorial service in the coming days. They posted to his Instagram, “The Covel Family is hosting a private funeral service for family, band and crew only in mid-February. A memorial service to honor Toby will be announced only on Toby’s socials shortly. In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates donations to @tkfoundation1 to support the OK Kids Korral.”

When the news of Toby Keith’s death came out last week (2/6), Underwood was one of the country superstars to post a tribute to Keith and honor him on social media.

Carrie posted photos of herself with Toby on her Instagram. She wrote, “Saddle up the horses, Jesus, ’cause a true blue COWBOY just made his ride up to heaven!!! Introduce him to all the Okies, and sign that boy up for the choir! We’re gonna miss you, Toby, but my heart has no doubt that you are standing in the presence of our King right now!!! See you again someday, friend.”

Five of Toby Keith's Songs That Will Live Forever

  • "Should've Been a Cowboy" (1993)

    This is his debut single and the song people will always associate with Toby. Many artists mentioned the song and its lyrics in their tribute to him after his death (2/6). Keith wrote the song himself, and it has always been his anthem. The song has received more than three million spins on country radio, making it the most-played country song of the 1990s. Over the years, the song has been a staple following sporting events at Oklahoma State University (home of the Cowboys), often played over the venue’s PA system several times in succession as fans emptied the stadium or arena.

  • "How Do You Like Me Now?!" (1999)

    This song brought Keith to superstardom. Toby told me the inspiration for the song in 2000. “Initially, I said, ‘Here’s my title: ‘You Never Loved Me Before, So How Do You Like Me Now?’ It’s one of my catchphrases. A lot of people become successful after they’ve been told they won’t ever be so that people can relate to this. It can be about an old flame or a boss or a teacher -whatever it means to each individual. It was a fun song to write.”

  • "I Wanna Talk About Me" (2001)

    This is another fun song and a big hit for Keith. The song was originally pitched to Blake Shelton, whose label turned it down. After recording the song, Keith said he knew he would get banged around for the song a bit. He noted, “They’re going to call it a rap, [although] there ain’t nobody doing rap who would call it a rap.”

    The music video for the song shows Toby in many different situations, including a man shopping with his girlfriend or wife, a police officer, a motorcycle rider, and a surgeon.

  • "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" (2002)

    The song he wrote after the 9/11 attacks on America and was also inspired by Keith’s father’s death in March 2001. In a November 2003 interview with CBS, Keith said of writing the song: “I was so angry when we were attacked here on American soil that it leaked out of me.”

    The music video for the song features Toby performing the song, playing a red, white, and blue guitar, and showing images of his own father fighting in a war.

  • "Red Solo Cup" (2011)

    Keith sure is good at fun party songs, and he proved it once again with this song, which was the only song on the album Clancy’s Tavern that he did not write. The song was written by the Warren Brothers in Nashville.

    The music video includes cameos from Jeff Dunham (and his character Bubba J), Carrot Top, Ted Nugent, Sammy Hagar, Craig Ferguson, Geoff Peterson, Roger Clemens, Eric Church, Joe Nichols, Lance Burton, and Larry Bird, among others.

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.

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Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group
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