Toby Keith Loved America, And It Showed In His Songs
As a proud patriot, Toby Keith often sang about his love for America…making his music perfect for 4th of July playlists and fireworks shows. He recognized the United States and its military in tracks such as “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” “American Soldier,” “Made in America,” and “American Ride.”
He even wrote and recorded a track centered around July 4th, titled “Happy Birthday America.”
RELATED: TOBY KEITH PLAYED FOR OVER 250,000 US SERVICEMEMBERS DURING 18 USO TOURS
Toby died on February 5, 2024, following a years-long battle with stomach cancer. He was only 62 years old.
In May, Toby’s daughter, Krystal Keith, accepted an honorary degree from the University of Oklahoma on his behalf. During her speech, she shared how her father always told her and her siblings to “never apologize for being patriotic.”
“…[He] practiced what he preached through his work with the USO. He was going into the most dangerous zones, where guys that never got those entertainers to come to them, were housed and were sitting, and he would go and boost their morale. And that’s who he wanted to go see. We called him Captain America. And that’s something he earned.”
Streams Of Toby Keith’s Music Increased By A Whopping 165% This 4th Of July
This 4th of July was the first one since Toby’s death. As has been the case for many years, his music was proudly played on the patriotic holiday and the weekend that followed.
But this year, Toby’s songs experienced a huge surge in streams on Independence Day.
According to Billboard, on July 4th, streams of Toby’s entire music catalog increased by a whopping 165% compared to July 3rd. His music generated 10.7 million streams on Independence Day alone.
Billboard broke down the numbers further, sharing how many streams specific songs generated.
“American Soldier” – 685,000 streams (up 308%)
“Made in America” – 914,000 streams (up 380%)
“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” – 3.6 million streams (up 365%)
“Should’ve Been a Cowboy” – 864,000 streams (up 70%)
“Beer for My Horses” – 644,000 streams (up 124%)
“Red Solo Cup” – 351,000 streams (up 119%)
With numbers like that, it seems safe to say that Toby’s music will remain a treasured part of Americans’ 4th of July celebrations for years to come.
Toby Keith was the founder of the Toby Keith Foundation. The foundation helps support the OK Kids Korral, which serves as a home-away-from-home for families with children undergoing cancer treatments. If you’d like to make a donation in Toby’s memory, you can visit the Toby Keith Foundation’s official website here.