Remembering Toby Keith the Sooner
January 18, 2023, Eskimo Joe’s bar, Stillwater, Oklahoma. The home team Oklahoma State Cowboys had just defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 72-56 in basketball. Cowboys’ fans flock to the popular bar amongst college students to celebrate a win over their bitter rivals to the south.
It’s the latest addition to the OSU/OU “Bedlam Series” contested by the athletic departments of the respected universities. Suddenly, through a sea of jubilant students high on a cocktail of cold beer and victory, in walk two of the most familiar faces in the state of Oklahoma.
Lifelong Sooners fan Toby Keith and legendary Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer enter the scene. The evening’s result is instantly erased from memory.
Keith, now over one year into his stomach cancer diagnosis, enters in high spirits given his deteriorating health. He and Switzer (85 at the time) don’t hesitate to mingle with the buzzing Stillwater students taking selfies and drinking together. Then, in what eyewitnesses have called a surreal experience, an ironic, impromptu rendition of his debut single and number one hit “Should’ve been a Cowboy” from the man himself.
Switzer sat at the bar as he watched his good friend entertain rival fans at no expense, doing so simply for the love of doing so.
The country music community lost one of its all-time greats on Monday. Toby Keith sadly, but peacefully, passed away in his sleep after battling cancer for over two years.
Country music lost a legend. The Keith family lost a husband, father, grandfather. But Oklahoma lost a son. Keith’s love for his Oklahoma Sooners was undeniably deep. Keith became a household name singing about how he “should’ve been a Cowboy”, but all he ever wanted to be was a Sooner.
“All he ever wanted to be was a Sooner”
Toby Keith was born in Clinton, Oklahoma on July 8, 1961, roughly 100 miles west of Norman, home to the University of Oklahoma.
At 10-years-old, an avid Oklahoman kid looking for any way to watch his beloved Sooners in the flesh, he took a position selling refreshments at OU football games.
Unfortunately, Keith never represented his Sooners competitively despite being an impressive defensive end at semi-pro level for the Oklahoma City Drillers, however, he was able to realise a few of his life goals.
After the Oklahoma oil industry decline in the early 80s Keith began performing with his band, Easy Money, as well as busking the streets of Nashville, Tennessee. Eventually, in 1993, Keith was signed to Mercury Records and, following his debut single, he never looked back.
The 90s were where Keith propelled into the country music stratosphere, but it was 1994 in particular when the kid from Clinton felt the most pride.
Country music’s hottest prospect was invited to participate in the Sooners’ annual alumni football game.
“I was in heaven standing there in Sooner Red”, Keith said of that afternoon in Norman.
“I was in heaven standing there in Sooner Red”
Even the most disastrous incident in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium couldn’t dampen Keith’s mood that afternoon. Late in the game an on-field accident left Keith with a broken ankle forcing him to cancel several tour dates. His response only accentuated his passion for OU: “I’d do it again”.
As Keith’s fame grew, and his well publicised love for all things Sooners was thrust into the limelight, he was invited to perform the national anthem at the Orange Bowl National Championship decider in Miami on January 3, 2001. Keith’s star-spangled banner spurred Oklahoma to a 13-2 win over Bobby Bowden’s Florida State that evening as the Sooners were declared college football national champions for the seventh time, their most recent to date.
Keith had become even closer with the hierarchy of Oklahoma athletics by this point, a relationship that would only strengthen as the years went on.
The 2000s and 2010s were hugely successful years for Keith’s music career. His 2003 duet with Willie Nelson “Beer for My Horses” lasted six weeks at number one, as did his 2005 hit “As Good as I Once Was”.
In 2005 he founded his own label Show Dog Nashville, which would merge with Universal South Records four years later and went on to release 10 albums under the label.
It was also a successful period in Oklahoma’s history. At the turn of the millennium head coach Bob Stoops led OU to 17 consecutive winning seasons, clinching nine bowls, including that national title over Florida State, and falling short in three more national championship games.
In October 2018 Keith had the chance to flex his college football knowledge to the entire country as he was invited to be the celebrity guest picker on ESPN’s College Gameday.
At Dallas’ Cotton Bowl Keith sat with a Red Solo Cup in hand as the atmosphere of the Red River Rivalry with the Texas Longhorns generated behind him.
It may have been the only poor performance of Keith’s career as he went 7-6 (.538) when guessing results. Still, not terrible.
But stacked against fellow country music stars Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Sam Hunt, Tim McGraw, Kane Brown, Brad Paisley, Eric Church, Zac Brown and Darius Rucker, Keith somewhat struggled. Although, the Sooner can always gloat a higher pick percentage than Luke Combs, Dierks Bentley and Kenny Chesney.
Some suggest that Keith was also a supporter of the Dallas Cowboys having performed the halftime show for Jerry Jones’ side during their 2003 Thanksgiving Day game setting the mood with his patriotic hit “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue”.
When it comes to patriotic Toby Keith was as passionate about his roots as they come. He performed over 200 USO shows for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and was very vocal in his support for men and women serving their country both at home and overseas.
Reports suggest Keith was a registered Democrat around the time of Obama’s election in 2008 but was outspoken in his support and appreciation of Bush’s Republican administration.
Just like when he performed to a bar full of spirited OSU fans despite the Sooners’ basketball defeat Keith never turned down a sitting US President citing that he does so for his country. He performed for three presidents, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
Such was Keith’s generous nature that he lent his god-given gift to anyone so long as it entertained.
The country music and football worlds have joined forces to respect the late Toby Keith with tributes flooding in on social media.
Longtime OU Director of Athletics, Joe Castiglione, posted on X: “Filled with deep sadness but flooded with wonderful memories too. He was authentic as they come & did more for people than anyone will ever know. Rest high on that mountain Big T”.
Sooners’ basketball head coach, Porter Moser, raised a Red Solo Cup in his press conference following Oklahoma’s win over BYU, stating: “They played their hearts out for Toby Keith”.
A guitar, Sooners cap and Red Solo Cup were seated courtside during the game to honour the late country hero with Keith’s “I wanna talk about me” playing as the team entered.
Skip Johnson, head coach of OU men’s baseball team, declared: “He’s one of the biggest reasons why I’m the coach here”.
A heartbroken Bob Stoops posted to X: “It’s hard to find the proper words to describe such an incredible & iconic person. Did so much for so many! Big life, big heart, great family man, loyal & true friend! Prayers & love to Tricia & family. Love ya brother. RIP Big T”.
Current Sooners boss, Brent Venables, wrote: “We are all better, for knowing Toby… an amazing man who gave to so many. RIP brother. All love for his family”.
Just seven months before his tragic passing, in June 2023, Keith was spotted celebrating the Oklahoma softball team winning their third straight national title.
A vibrant character and an entertainer right until the end of his fight.
As good once, as he ever was.
Rest in peace, Toby.
Credit to Ben Hutchens (@Ben_Hutchens_) of selloutcrowd.com for sharing the story of Toby Keith in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Wonderful tribute to an absolute star 💔
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