Toby Keith: Unleashed

Toby Keith: Unleashed

At this point in time, music is among the hardest businesses to achieve success in. The music industry and fans are looking for more than just talent and energy. They want someone who they can respect. Toby Keith fulfilled these expectations when he entered the music world. His huge success depended not only on his talent, but his boldness to speak his mind.

Toby was born on July 8th, 1961 in Clinton, Oklahoma. Although most of his childhood and high school years were spent playing football, he was involved in the Easy Money Band with several of his friends. After singing with the group for awhile, Toby decided to become a solo performer, and went to Nashville where he landed his first contract with Mercury Records. He produced and wrote many hit singles, including “We Were in Love” and “Wish I Didn’t Know Now,” but sappy love songs did not satisfy his full artistic vision, nor the visions of his listeners. Mercury Records had turned down a number of songs he had written because they feared the songs were too controversial. Finally, he moved his contract to Dream Works Records, who released his single “How Do You Like Me Now,” released in 1999. The song was a smash hit, catapulting him into popularity.

Toby wrote another song that not only boosted his career, but lowered some Americans’ respect for him. “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” is a passionate ballad concerning the attacks on the World Trade Center, that some United States residents feel is too prideful. Despite the controversy caused by the new hit single, Toby Keith won the hearts of many Americans. He expressed their feelings about the attack of September 11th, 2001, in ways that they could not. However, the following lyrics created an uproar:

“You’ll be sorry that you messed with the U S of A…

‘Cuz we’ll put a boot in your ass,

It’s the American way!”

Peter Jennings refused for a long time to allow Toby to perform on his television show for the Fourth of July because of these lyrics.