(ProsperNews.net) – Country music star Toby Keith has died at the age of 62. The “Beer for My Horses” singer was suffering from stomach cancer, and a statement from his family said he died peacefully. “He fought his fight with grace and courage,” the statement read. After years on the Oklahoma oil fields and a subsequent football career, Keith made his fortune in country music and had several big hits, including “I Love This Bar” and “Red Solo Cup” and the patriotic “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.”
He launched his music career in the early 1990s, and his debut single “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” shot to number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1993. He signed with Polydor Records in Nashville the following year and released a string of successful albums and songs.
Well known for his patriotism, Keith performed in 11 USO tours and said he taught his children to respect veterans. His father was a soldier, and he publicly thanked the US military for protecting his freedoms. The star’s political allegiance, however, is mixed.
Mr. Keith described himself as a “conservative Democrat” but endorsed George W Bush in 2004 and performed at a rally for the Republican on the night before the election. By 2008, he had reverted back to the Democrats and called Barack Obama “the best Democratic candidate we’ve had since Bill Clinton.”
Donald Trump awarded him a National Medal of Arts in 2021, and Keith performed at Trump’s inauguration in 2017. However, in a subsequent interview, the singer distanced himself from the President’s politics by stating that his performance was a matter of duty and loyalty. “The president of the frickin’ United States asks you to do something, and you can go, you should go,” he said.
A registered Democrat for most of his life, Keith re-registered as an independent in 2008, saying Democrats “disowned” him for his consistent support of American troops.
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