The late country star’s music continues to influence the world nearly two years after his passing
With new multi-platinum and gold certifications for two of his biggest hits, the late Toby Keith continues to carry considerable influence across the worlds of music, entertainment, and more.
A new five-time platinum RIAA certification was just issued for Keith’s iconic smash “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).” The song powered a huge summer for Keith’s music, but more on that later. Concurrently receiving a new certification is his 1994 No. 1 single “A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action,” which earned a gold record from the RIAA.
In March, Keith’s patriotic legacy was extended when his song “American Soldier” was included in the grand opening ceremonies of the National Medal of Honor Museum.
The following month, the Catch A Lift Fund presented its inaugural Toby Keith Patriot Award to General James L. Jones, United States Marine Corps (Ret.), during its 6th Annual Northern Virginia Benefit at the prestigious Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia. The annual award will honor an individual whose efforts on behalf of veterans reflects Keith’s commitment to service, patriotism and unity.
In May, Render Judgment ran in the Kentucky Derby, the fulfillment of a dream Keith held dear as he operated his own Dream Walkin’ Farms for more than three decades. His family now runs the 330-acre Pauls Valley, OK, thoroughbred facility.
Keith’s ninth album, Honkytonk University, turned 20 on May 17th, marked by an updated release available in immersive Dolby Atmos, mixed by preeminent engineer Mills Logan. The videos for the album’s “Big Blue Note,” “Honkytonk U,” and multi-week No. 1 “As Good As I Once Was” were also remastered and released.
At the end of May, the Sammy Hagar-hosted 21st Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic raised more than $1.4 million to benefit the Toby Keith Foundation’s work supporting OK Kids Korral, which the late singer, songwriter, and entertainer called “my best gift I’ve ever given to the world.” In the history of the event, the 2025 total is only exceeded by the prior year’s gathering, which included the one-time establishment of an endowment.
To kick off the 4th of July holiday weekend, Apple Music celebrated Toby Keith’s life and profound impact on country music with the release of a special Apple Music Nashville Sessions: Toby Keith Covered collection, featuring live-recorded covers performed by Ashley McBryde (“A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action”), Ella Langley (“Wish I Didn’t Know Now”), Megan Moroney (“Who’s Your Daddy?”), Parker McCollum (“Who’s That Man”), Riley Green (“Should’ve Been a Cowboy”), and Tucker Wetmore (“As Good As I Once Was”).
In July, Billboard crowned Keith’s music “the biggest winner” over the Independence Day holiday. His catalog saw streams and plays “skyrocket” over the summer, with his 35 Biggest Hits album climbing into the Billboard 200 Top 10. Driving many of the summer’s milestones was his July 2002 No. 1 airplay single “Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue,” which hit No. 1 for the second time in its lifespan by topping the Country Digital Song Sales chart 23 years later.
In August, NBC re-aired 2024’s most-watched non-holiday special on the network, Toby Keith: American Icon. Performers and guests included Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Scotty Emerick, Miranda Lambert, Mac McAnally, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, and Lainey Wilson. Daughter Krystal Keith performed his iconic “Don’t Let The Old Man In,” which was heralded as “the night’s most affecting performance.”
In September, Keith was posthumously inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame, a recognition based on his lasting impact on the event’s legacy. His widow, Tricia Covel, accepted the honor on his behalf, saying, “He loved the cowboy life he saw here. After all he wrote ‘Should’ve Been A Cowboy’ in 20 minutes.”
Krystal Keith honored her father’s devotion to service members by singing the National Anthem before the November 16th game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals as part of the NFL’s Salute To Service initiative. In addition to singing the National Anthem to open the game, she returned to the field to perform two of her father’s songs (“Don’t Let The Old Man In” and “American Soldier”) at halftime to honor his Steelers fandom and our military.
October saw the release of an Apple Music Lost & Found pairing of Keith’s demo of the previously unreleased “End Of The Night” (the “Lost” portion) with a new master recording of the song by acclaimed singer-songwriter Ernest (“Found”). The song was co-written by Keith, Bobby Pinson, and David Lee Murphy. The two versions remain available exclusively on Apple Music.
To round out 2025, in November, Keith’s own label, Show Dog Nashville, celebrated 20 years of No. 1 hits by multiple artists, including the singer-songwriter himself, Randy Houser, and Joe Nichols.