We ate at Toby’s place tonight in Oklahoma City. As in Toby Keith – superstar country music recording star. For those of you who don’t know who he is the song he wrote and recorded as a result of 9-11, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” (The Angry American) may ring a bell for you.
You may remember that he refused to record that song at first. He would only sing it at live concerts for military personnel. He was finally told by the commandment of the Marine Corp that it was his duty as as an American citizen to record the song.
ABC invited Toby to sing the song on a patriotic special. Peter Jennings asked him to soften the lyrics. Toby refused and did not appear on the special.
Keith also had a running feud with the Dixie Chicks. Their lead singer said the song was ignorant. Toby responded by putting a doctored picture of her with Saddam Hussein as a backdrop on the stage at his concerts. She responded by wearing a tee shirt at a nationally televised awards show with the letters. FUTK. She said the letters stood for “Friends United in Truth and Kindness.”
Yeah right. Everybody watching knew better.
Toby even today refuses to say her name. In his honor, I have not mentioned her name on this blog.
It is amazing what you can learn traveling around the good ole US of A and talking to folks in the know. I also discovered tonight that military folks get free hamburgers in his restaurant. I’m not sure if it is an everyday thing or once a week thing. But it is a thing he does.
Toby Keith is about as patriotic as anybody. His dad was killed in an automobile accident a few months before the 9-11 attack. He honored his dad and America with his song.
He has had a dozen or so Platinum Albums and some that have gone as much as 4 times Platinum.
Toby Keith’s record sales prove that he makes great music. Just for the record, his steaks ain’t bad either.
You can have the Dixie Chicks and their unnamed bad mouth lead singer.
I'll take Toby Keith. To tell you the truth, I felt kinda honored to be sitting at his table tonight.
1 comment:
Hear! Hear! Amen! And Yee! Haw!! I have read so many negative blogs about Toby over the past few months, and this one is a breath of fresh air!!! I have greatly enjoyed reading your blogs!!!
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