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Toby Keith’s Daughter Recalls Singer’s Love for Family, Faith and Country

Toby Keith’s Daughter Recalls Singer’s Love for Family, Faith and Country

By Movieguide® Contributor

Krystal Keith, daughter of country superstar Toby Keith, reflected on her late father’s love for his family, faith and country while accepting a degree from the University of Oklahoma on his behalf.

Keith passed away from stomach cancer in February.

“When he learned last fall that he was being inducted to Sooner Nation on this high of a level, he was so excited, and he was so proud,” Krystal said at the acceptance ceremony. “I actually made a joke about how many hours I spent here getting my bachelor’s degree, and he joked that he didn’t have to work that hard to get his. But we all know he earned it and spent many more hours dedicating his life to earning it this way. He loved his family (he loved all of us), God, our country, and Sooner Nation.”

PEOPLE reported, “Toby was a big fan of the Oklahoma Sooners football team, and his daughters Krystal, and Shelley, 44, and son Stelen Covel, 27, are all OU alumni.”

“His passion started far back before he was 12 and 13. He sold Cokes at the stadium just to be able to see the OU games,” Krystal said. “He joked that he would sell them for half the game, and then he would go sit and watch the game and sometimes got in trouble for not finishing his job.”

She reflected on how much her father valued hard work.

“Throughout his life and career, he made sure to work hard to have the best, to be the best. He often said, ‘They may write better than me, they may sing better than me, and they may look better than me, but they will NEVER outwork me. And that made all the difference,” she said. “He was a larger-than-life legend, he was an icon, he did things his own way, his songs inspired nearly everyone in country music and beyond.”

Part of how he inspired others was through his support of the armed forces.

“He always said, ‘Never apologize for being patriotic,’ and practiced what he preached through his work with the USO [United Service Organizations],” Krystal added.

“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,” she said of some of her dad’s 11 USO tours. “And that’s who he wanted to go see. We called him Captain America. And that’s something he earned.”

Movieguide® previously reported on Keith’s death:

Country singer Toby Keith has died following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62. 

“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time,” a statement on his website reads. Keith first announced his cancer diagnosis in 2022. 

“I am shattered. As great as he was in his career, he was so much greater as a dad and a husband and a Pop Pop. He was my hero. I am so lucky to have had him and so grateful he got to walk me down the aisle and meet my babies,” Krystal posted after his death. 

“He made sure to live with Jesus so he could go with Jesus. Jesus taking him home is the cherry on top of the life we got to live with him,” she added.


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