Enlarge image
Musician Keith: “That’s the American way”
Photo:
Mickey Bernal/NBC/Getty Images
Country star Toby Keith is dead. He died on Monday evening at the age of 62, it says on his homepage and in a post on his X account. “He fought with dignity and courage,” the statement said. In 2022, Keith was diagnosed with cancer.
The singer has been a star in the USA since 1993. Back then he made his breakthrough with “Should’ve Been a Cowboy”. No country song was played more often in the United States in the 1990s. Other famous songs included "Who's Your Daddy?" and "Made in America."
Toby Keith initially worked in the oil fields in Oklahoma and played semi-professional football before finally devoting himself full-time to music. He quickly became one of the most successful country musicians of his generation. In an interview he once said about the secret of his success: "I write about life, I sing about life, and I don't analyze too much."
“We’ll kick your ass – that’s the American way.”
Above all, he could also count on patriotic fans: After the attacks of September 11th, Keith released the song “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”. This not only caused controversy at the time, but also led to Keith being seen as a supporter of the Republican Party from then on. “Courtesy” was an anthem for US soldiers and – in keeping with the Iraq War – a declaration of war against America’s enemies.
The text says, among other things: "We'll kick your ass - that's the American way." Country colleague Steve Earle said at the time that Keith was "playing to people's worst instincts at a time when they're hurting and scared."
In interviews, Keith defended himself against party political appropriation and, among other things, played concerts for President George. W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. He appeared at the latter during his inauguration, where he also played “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue”. Trump ultimately awarded the singer the National Medal of the Arts.
xvc/AP