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Asked how he’s managed to maintain his superstar status for so long, Toby Keith – 2001 CMA Male Vocalist Of The Year – says simply: “I’ve just been doing the same things I’ve always done; it’s my surroundings that have changed. I’ve got a record company that gives me the freedom to do what I want, and the industry has accepted what I do. Because of that, in a very real sense, I’ve been liberated.”
To be sure, rarely has a collaboration worked as well as that of Toby Keith and James Stroud, Toby’s longtime producer and the head of his label, DreamWorks Records. It was true with the smash “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” which punched Toby’s career into overdrive, and it has been true with the hits that followed: “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This,” “Country Comes To Town,” “I’m Just Talkin’ About Tonight,” “I Wanna Talk About Me” and “My List.” One key to the success of those songs and the discs that spawned them – 1999’s How Do You Like Me Now?! (ACM Album Of The Year) and 2001’s Pull My Chain – is the artist/producer pair’s ability to translate Toby’s onstage charisma onto CD. But it’s Toby’s unique point of view and uncanny knack for putting it into song that’s at the heart of everything he does, and it’s where his new album, Unleashed (set for release July 23, 2002), has its foundation. “When we finished recording Pull My Chain, we were satisfied we had everything we wanted, that it was complete,” Toby says. “At that point, I just started writing the new album, and by the time Pull My Chain was released, we were well on our way to having this one done.” Once Toby had selected the songs for Unleashed, he and Stroud set a familiar process in motion. “James gets the studio and the musicians in place, and I show up and play the songs for the guys,” Toby explains. “Then we all start being creative together.” Recording took place in Miami, away from the distractions of home. “We found we could really focus there,” he confirms. “When people listen to the album, I think they’ll be able to hear that creativity and focus.” Leading off the album is “Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American),” Toby’s reaction to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. He performed the heartfelt song (another in his streak of rapidly rising singles) at the 2002 Academy Of Country Music Awards. Today’s headlines also figure into “It’s All Good,” which exalts love as a cure for worry about the world’s ills. And though it was written before September 11th, “Beer For My Horses,” a duet with Willie Nelson, makes a passionate plea for justice. Among Unleashed’s other standouts are “Huckleberry,” a coming-of-age story brimming with romance, and “It Works For Me,” an unapologetically matter-of-fact life statement. Toby calls “Who’s Your Daddy?,” meanwhile, “the perfect example of what I do as a songwriter.” Indeed, the song is a seamless blend of craft and attitude, this time serving to plumb the depths of an intriguing and rather complicated relationship. And if this nuts-and-bolts mastery of technique coupled with raw emotional expression is Toby’s greatest achievement, it has led to many, many others. He’s sold more than four million albums in the past two years alone; he’s been among the most-played artists on country radio for the past 12 months; he’s appeared on the cover of virtually every country music publication; and he’s been the recipient of BMI’s prestigious Songwriter/Artist Of The Year Award. These accomplishments, in turn, have led to opportunities outside of music. Toby has starred for several years alongside Terry Bradshaw and Mike Piazza in the popular 10-10-220 long-distance commercials; he played himself in a TV movie reunion of “The Dukes Of Hazzard” and on “Touched By An Angel” (in the program’s highest-rated episode of that season); and he’s signed on to do a commercial for Coors, what he calls a “guys hanging out being guys” spot that will be part of a series featuring celebrities. Sir Charles Barkley and Kid Rock are among the other stars participating in the promotion. (Coors is sponsoring Toby’s Unleashed tour). Far from a series of flukes, these triumphs are a reflection of the vision, work ethic and persistence that have always marked Toby Keith’s outlook on life. He grew up in Moore, Okla., with twin passions for music and sports. He began playing football at five; at eight, in imitation of the musicians who appeared at his grandmother’s supper club, he started playing guitar. He worked as a rodeo hand in high school, then took a job in the oil fields after graduation. He also formed the Easy Money band and played local honky-tonks on weekends. After three years in the oil fields, the industry hit a major slump, and Toby cast his eye back toward sports. He played two years as a defensive end for the Oklahoma City Drillers, a semi-pro team, all the while continuing to perform with his band. While playing with the Drillers, he tried out for the Oklahoma Outlaws of the ill-fated USFL. When that league folded, Toby reassessed his life, deciding that despite the odds, he needed to pour himself into music. So he and Easy Money hit the road. Toby concentrated on his writing, putting together a demo tape that made a fan of former Alabama producer Harold Shedd. This led to Toby signing with Mercury Records and releasing a self-titled album that resulted in three #1 hits, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” “Wish I Didn’t Know Now” and “A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action,” and the #5 hit “He Ain’t Worth Missing.” Toby Keith resided on the charts for a year, earning double-platinum certification. Many felt the performance of his debut should have made him a shoe-in for an industry newcomer award, but Toby wasn’t even nominated. “I felt dissed,” he admits. But where some artists might be tempted to change what they’re doing in order to court industry favor, Toby simply put his broad shoulders to the wheel and toured incessantly, winning legions of fans while continuing to crank out hits. Chart-climbers like “Who’s That Man,” “You Ain’t Much Fun,” “Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine On You” and “Me Too” turned Boomtown and Blue Moon gold and platinum, respectively. Toby would soon strike up his professional relationship with James Stroud. They first collaborated on Dream Walkin’ (1997), a Top 10 album that went gold and delivered the #1 hits “Dream Walkin’” and “We Were In Love,” as well as “I’m So Happy That I Can’t Stop Crying,” a Grammy-nominated duet with Sting that hit #2. Still, despite 13 Top 10 singles and five gold or platinum albums in a mere six years, Toby had not achieved the superstar status fans felt he deserved. So he left his longtime label home, with no assurances, just faith that he was destined for bigger things. “I was confident in what I was doing and I have a strong spiritual belief that spurred me on,” he states. “Believe it or not, that was a peaceful time for me.” In 1999 Toby signed with the Stroud-led DreamWorks label. The results have spoken for themselves. “When you’ve got everything pulling your way, you’re allowed to really open up and just show your true colors,” he says. “That’s what allows you to set yourself apart.” Toby views his success as proof that his stubborn willingness to stick to his vision was the right course. “I wouldn’t have been happy with compromise, and I never gave up,” he relates. “I did my last album the way I did my first – my way. It never entered my mind to change or try to conform just to stay afloat. My motto was always: ‘Let’s go down with the ship or come back up.’” Toby lives with his wife, Tricia, daughters Shelley and Krystal, and son Stelen outside Norman, Okla., where he is completing Dream Walkin’ Farms, a thoroughbred breeding and training facility. Both in his personal and professional lives, he is grateful for the satisfaction of being at the helm of a well-oiled machine. “I don’t think I’m at my peak,” he says, “but I do think I’m hitting my stride. I’m really feeling like we’ve got a great album with Unleashed, like all the cylinders are firing.” AWARDS 2003 ACM Entertainer of the Year 2003 Flameworthy Awards Cocky Video of the Year & Male Video of the year &Video of the Year for “Courtesy of The Red, White &Blue (The Angry American)” ACM AWARDS 2001 - Toby wins ACM Male Vocalist and Album of the Year! CMT VIDEO COUNTDOWN AWARDS Toby is the "CMT Male Video Artist of the Year" and "How Do You Like Me Now" is the #1 Video for the year 2000 TOBY RECEIVES AWARD Toby Keith will be presented with the Native Son Award by the South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce on January 27. Recipients are recognized for their personal accomplishments for and in the state of Oklahoma. In addition to his musical accomplishments, the organization cites Keith`s participation in the rescue effort following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing as one of the reasons he was chosen to receive the honor. TOBY HONORED BY NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS ASSOCIATION Toby Keith was honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association International Monday September 18, 2000 for contributing $15,000 to the organization. The endowment will go toward helping to protect the copyrights of songwriters. Toby is challenging other artists to follow his lead and support the cause. TobyKeith.com (Opens New Window) Source: Dreamworks Label Profile |
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