Biography of Toby Keith

Although he is a contemporary country singer/songwriter, Toby Keith's musical style harkens back to the "pure" country sounds of an earlier age. Born in Oklahoma City, his interest in country music was sparked in childhood by the musicians who played at his grandmother's dinner club. But unlike many country stars, Keith did not choose music as his true calling until losing his job as an operational manager in the oil industry. With nothing to do, he began playing in country-rock garage bands. Eventually he and some of the musicians he worked with teamed up to form Keith's Easy Money Band, which began playing at honky-tonk dives in South Oklahoma City and neighboring Norman. Keith returned to the oil fields and later played football in the short-lived USFL while continuing to play music. By 1988, Keith was recording for independent labels and decided to try his luck in Nashville. He got his big break when former Alabama producer Harold Shedd, who worked for Mercury Records, heard Keith's demo and flew to Oklahoma to meet and listen to the band. He was impressed and offered Keith a record deal. His self-titled debut album came out in 1992; it was produced by Shedd and Nelson Larkin. In 1993, Keith had his first number one single, "Should've Been a Cowboy," which later appeared on the pop charts as a minor hit. His next single, "He Ain't Worth Missing," made it to the Top Five, and the follow-up, "A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action," made it to the Top Three. In 1994, his debut album went gold and suddenly Keith found himself a rising star. ~ Sandra Brennan