Neighbor News
~ Toby Keith ~
~ This North Fork of Long Island Freelance Writer Is Doing A Tribute To Country Music's Award-Winning Toby Keith ~
BY DANNY McCARTHY
At IONA College {NOW IONA University -(!!!)-} I starred in the EDWARD ALBEE classic play A DELICATE BALANCE having the title character role of Tobias. Tobias can be the lengthier first name for TOBY.
- From yahoo!: Fans Can't Stop Commenting on This Rare Photo of Toby Keith and His Wife
{By} Country Living Staff March 30, 2023
Toby Keith American country music singer and actor
Country icon Toby Keith and his wife Tricia just celebrated a huge milestone: The couple had their 39th wedding anniversary on March 24 {2023}. To mark the day, Toby's official Instagram account posted a throwback photo of the two with the caption: "Happy anniversary to Toby and Tricia! Show them some love in the comments." The Country Living Staff was not sure exactly when it was taken, but they thought {some time} the photo was from the late {1980s} or early {1990s}. Either way, they both {looked} dapper with Toby wearing a tuxedo and Tricia in a gown. Tricia has pretty much remained out of the spotlight, making only a handful of red carpet outings with her husband. They share three children together, two daughters and a son.
Toby announced in 2022 that he had been undergoing treatment for stomach cancer, and told fans he needed some time to recover. In November 2022, he made a surprise APPearance in Lexington, Kentucky, and also received the BMI Icon Award at the 2022 BMI Country Awards. {BMI celebrated TOBY KEITH at the 70th annual BMI Country Awards by presenting him with the BMI Icon Award. ~ Held at BMI’s Nashville office on November 8, 2022, the ceremony was hosted by BMI President and CEO MIKE O'NEILL and BMI Vice President, Creative, Nashville CLAY BRADLEY. During the evening, BMI also crowned the Country Songwriter, Song and Publisher of the Year, as well as {a} salute {to} the writers and publishers of the 50 most-performed songs of the year from BMI’s country catalog.
TOBY KEITH was commemorated for his work as a songwriter, including crucial contributions to his own catalog of hits, including “American Soldier,” “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” and “How Do You Like Me Now?!”. TOBY KEITH was previously named BMI country songwriter of the year three times, and won the BMI country song of the year honor for “As Good As I Once Was.”
The BMI Icon Award is given to exceptional songwriters in recognition of their influence on generations of creators. TOBY KEITH joined an impressive list of fellow recipients including WILLIE NELSON, LORETTA LYNN, MERLE HAGGARD, DOLLY PARTON, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, HANK WILLIAMS JR, STEVIE NICKS, LITTLE RICHARD, PATTI LABELLE, JAMES BROWN -{&}- more.
MIKE O'NEILL said of TOBY: “His creative accomplishments are second to none but at his heart he is a songwriter. That’s who we are celebrating tonight—the writer behind the hits.” ~ CLAY BRADLEY added: “You are a songwriter’s songwriter.”
TOBY’s fellow Oklahoma native CARRIE UNDERWOOD performed TOBY’s No. 1 Country Airplay debut hit, 1993’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” which TOBY wrote by himself. “It was artists like you that taught kids like me that greatness is possible,” CARRIE UNDERWOOD said.
On the advice of producer HAROLD SHEDD, he walked into the BMI Nashville office “in 1990 or 1991” and quickly met Bradley. TOBY KEITH said: “Since 1990 or 1991, I’ve been affiliated with the greatest organization in the music business, and that’s BMI. They’ve been so great to me as a songwriter because I knew that even if I didn’t make it as an artist, that maybe somebody would cut my songs. I always felt that the songwriting was the most important part of this whole industry.”
ERIC CHURCH offered a slowed down, uniquely “Chief” version of TOBY KEITH’s 2003 Billboard Country Airplay chart leader “I Love This Bar.” ERIC CHURCH said: “For me, he’s always been a guy who did it his own way.”
Video tributes poured in throughout the evenings from WILLIE NELSON, SCOTTY EMERICK, -{&}- TOBY KEITH's {long-time} manager TK KIMBRELL. Later in the evening, TOBY KEITH’s dedication to military members was lauded, and as footage of TOBY’s post-9/11 Billboard Country Airplay hit “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)” played on the screen, several in the music industry crowd began singing along, Ultimately giving TOBY a standing ovation. Emerick and DEAN DILLON performed TOBY’s “A Little Too Late.”
TOBY took the stage and offered heartfelt thanks to his parents and family, as well as to TK KIMBRELL and producer HAROLD SHEDD (known for his work with Alabama, K.T. OSLIN, LORRIE MORGAN{,} -{&} more), who produced TOBY's earliest albums. HAROLD SHEDD was in attendance, spending his 91st birthday to help celebrate TOBY. TOBY also namechecked producer JAMES STROUD, who co-produced albums including TOBY’s Dream Walkin’, How Do You Like Me Now?! and Shock’n Y’all. ~ TOBY also thanked his agent CURT MOTLEY, Live Nation’s BRIAN O'CONNELL, and his frequent collaborators Emerick, Dillon, BOBBY PINSON{,} and others who have collaborated with him on the road {through} the years. ~ In closing, TOBY made it clear that of all the accolades he’s received in his career, it’s the ones that honor the craft of songwriting that mean the most to him. “All I ever cared about was Songwriters Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and BMI Icon,” he said.
TOBY also did an interview with CMT {Country Music Television (CMT) is an American cable and satellite television channel that focuses on country music videos, concerts, and other programming related to country music culture} Hot 20 Countdown, where he explained {regarding his stomach cancer}: "It's pretty debilitating to have to go through all that, but as long as everything stays hunky-dory, then we'll look at something good in the future."
