SONY MUSIC ARTISTS REFLECT ON THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF TOBY KEITH (AUDIO)
Below you’ll find a collection of audio recordings featuring Sony Music artists as they pay tribute to the indelible legacy of Toby Keith, who departed on the evening of February 5th. Join us in commemorating the life and impact of this iconic figure in the world of music. Check back periodically for addition audio.
“So obviously we’ve lost a legend today in Toby Keith. I’ve been lucky enough to meet this man a couple of times out on the road, open for him. And my stepbrother worked for him doing lighting, a guy that I look to as another father in a man named James Stroud, who’s a fantastic producer in Nashville, if you know him, produced most of his stuff, and it’s just sad that he’s gone. I’d just like to say I’m sorry to his friends and his family, that he’s gone, but his music will live on forever. And again, he is a legend. So, Toby, thank you.”
“Toby Keith has always represented to me what a kid from Oklahoma could accomplish with nothing but a dream and hard work and some songs. And then he left behind some of the most incredible country songs. But he also gave me my first real touring opportunity back in 2015, to open up for 10s of 1000s of people for him and he gave me a masterclass on live performance and hospitality. He was just so gracious and man to hear his passing is so deeply heartbreaking. My prayers go out to his family, and I will say the way that he went out was so inspiring because he could have sat around and just waited for his time. He knew his time was coming, but he decided, man, I’m gonna go out fighting and I’m gonna go out and I’m gonna play shows and I’m gonna live while I’m alive and it was absolutely inspiring to watch.“
“Toby Keith impacted my life because one of the first songs I learned how to play on guitar was Should Have Been a Cowboy and I played that song and a lot of bars that I played coming up. And I feel like Toby just made the country music industry fun. I think he left a note that not everything has to be so serious all the time. So Rest In Peace Toby.“
“It’s hard to express the impact that Toby Keith had on my life and my career, but ever since I was a kid, I was in love with his music, his patriotism. He’s just a badass and then when I started playing my own music and gettin’ out on the road, he was one of the first people that took us out. One of our first arenas we ever got to play. And then here on the Jason Aldean tour got to see him play one last time and that was just a special moment for me. Got to hold his drink, cheers to him. And he said, keep killing it. Keep doing your thing. And that was one of the very special moments I’ll never forget Toby Keith’s the man and he’s leaving a big legacy and I don’t know some big big shoes to fill, country music loss and icon for sure.”
Matthew Ramsey: “Toby Keith was just a true pioneer of not only country music, but all music. He did what we all aspire to do and sometimes struggle to do and that’s to do it his way. You know, we all want to do it our own way. And that’s difficult to do. But for Toby Keith, you know, he made it look easy, and he was always out there with, you know, 100% himself on his sleeves and take it or leave it. That’s what you got. And it’s a truly devastating loss for country music and music in general.“
Zach Beeken: “”Toby Keith is a country music icon and he has inspired so many of us and He will be greatly missed.”
Colton Pack: “He’s one of the greatest storytellers of our time. Just driving in this morning, was going through his catalogue and you just see how many songs that he wrote by himself that have made such an impact on country music. I know for us we’ve had should have been a cowboy in our set for the past two years. And when you watch how fans react to that song, you just really see the impact that he’s had on country music.”
Garret Nichols: “You know, for us growing up, he was a huge inspiration and he’s really a great part of why we do country music today. Rest in peace Toby, we’re gonna miss you.”
Colton Pack: You might be gone but your musics gonna live forever man.”