Country music star Toby Keith, celebrated in Middle America for his patriotic fervor and songs extolling the pleasures of consuming, has handed away aged 62, a press release on his social media account stated Tuesday.
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage,” a press release posted to Keith’s account on X, acknowledged.
The Oklahoma-born singer, who was a roughneck within the oil fields of his residence state earlier than breaking into nation within the Nineteen Nineties, had been identified with abdomen most cancers in 2022.
Keith was a controversial determine who usually raised eyebrows for the depth of his nationalist sentiments, with detractors calling him jingoistic.
“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” launched within the aftermath of the September 11 assaults, memorably has the road, “We’ll put a boot in your ass / It’s the American way.”
In “The Taliban Song,” Keith describes extraordinary Afghans praying for U.S. forces to drive out the overseas fighters of the Taliban and al-Qaida — which was led by the Saudi-born Osama bin Laden. In the refrain, Keith sings, “Ride, camel, ride!”
Usually clad in a cowboy hat, he additionally had a protracted checklist of songs exploring the cathartic results of alcohol together with “I Love This Bar,” “Whiskey Girl,” “Get Drunk and Be Somebody,” “Drinks After Work” and “Drunk Americans.”
“Beer For My Horses,” one among Keith’s best-known songs, sings of getting powerful on crime and corruption.
He was additionally recognized for his feuds and grudges, together with towards The Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines — touring with a doctored photograph of her and Saddam Hussein after her feedback towards the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Keith was probably the most well-known performer at former U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017, although he additionally performed at occasions for Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama.
He incessantly carried out for U.S. troops abroad, usually elevating his center finger within the air in an unsubtle message to overseas adversaries.
Later in 2017 he performed a male-only live performance in Saudi Arabia to mark a Trump go to there — an unlikely venue for a star extra usually seen packing arenas within the U.S. heartland.
© 2024 AFP