Toby Keith and his Connections with the State of Kentucky
A country music icon has passed away. Toby Keith died on Monday at age 62 after a two-year bout with stomach cancer. A larger-than-life star on stage, he was Oklahoman by berth, but he had plenty of connections to Kentucky.
Keith spent plenty of time in the Bluegrass state, not only as a touring musician but as a fan of horse racing. He placed picks at ticket windows and invested in them as an owner. In 2017 he sold three horses at the Keeneland Yearling Sale, just ahead of the Kentucky-Florida football game. It gave Keith an excuse to reconnect with his old friend, Mark Stoops.
Keith rose to stardom in the late 90s as Bob Stoops resurrected the Oklahoma football program. The country music superstar was one of the Sooners’ biggest fans and quickly developed a relationship with not just Bob, but the whole Stoops family. Ahead of that high-profile matchup against the Gators, Keith joined The Mark Stoops Show to brag about his old friend.
“It’s important that Kentucky gave him enough time to get his own players here,” Keith said of Mark Stoops. “He’s a great football coach. He’s been successful everywhere he’s been. And I’m so proud of my brother Mike, er Mark — Mike, Bob, Ronnie, all of them. … I knew when Kentucky hired him they got the right guy for the job.”
Toby Keith on how Stoops was the best man of the UK job
— UK Sports Network (@UKSportsNetwork) September 18, 2017
WATCH: https://t.co/bgszTYn7Da pic.twitter.com/YoWSYyj9b9
Keith watched a couple of Kentucky games from the sidelines. He saw the Cats fall to Tennessee in 2015 and predicted a win over Florida in 2017 where the Cats came up just short.
“You’re at a basketball school, and you’ve got a tough row to hoe, but this is the right guy for the job,” Keith said. “And guess what? They’re going to beat Florida this week.”
Stoops cut off his pal Toby at the basketball school remark. “We don’t say that anymore… But he’s a country music star. He can say what he wants.”
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Toby Keith and his friendship with Matthew Bradford
The Toby Keith catalog of music is filled with patriotic songs saluting American soldiers. The son of a disabled Army veteran, he didn’t just talk the talk with his lyrics. Keith frequently performed for soldiers abroad in USO shows. That’s where he met Cpl. Matthew Bradford.
Bradford grew up in Kentucky cheering for his beloved Wildcats. He enlisted in the Marines following his high school graduation and was one of many who suffered significant injuries in the line of duty. In 2007 Bradford stepped on an IED in Iraq. He lost his legs and vision, but not his spirit, inspiring the country music star and so many others.
The two crossed paths during one of Keith’s USO tours and developed a friendship. Bradford was a welcome guest to his shows and was invited on stage multiple times, including the following duet of ‘American Warrior’ back in 2011.
Even though he should’ve been a cowboy, Toby Keith was an outstanding performer, songwriter, and friend. The world will miss the man who was made in America.
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