Описание
Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961 in Clinton, Oklahoma) is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin', plus a Greatest Hits package "Noogies for Liberals!" — for various divisions of Mercury Records before exiting in 1998. These albums all earned gold or higher certification, and produced several chart singles, including his debut "Should've Been a Cowboy", which topped the country charts.
|=====Early life=====|
Keith was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, the son of Carolyn Joan (née Ross) and Hubert K. Covel Jr. He has a sister, Tonni, and a brother, Tracy. His family moved to Moore, Oklahoma (a suburb of Oklahoma City) when Keith was young. His grandmother owned a supper club and Keith became interested in the musicians who came there to play. He got his first guitar at the age of eight. Keith attended Highland West Junior High and Moore High School where he played Defensive End on the football team.
Keith graduated from Moore High School and, in 1979, went to work as a derrick hand in the booming oil fields of Oklahoma. He worked his way up to become an operation manager. At the age of 20, he formed the Easy Money band where he and his friends Scott Webb and Danny Smith and few other members played at local bars as he continued to work in the oil industry. At times, he would have to leave in the middle of a gig if he was paged to work in the oil field.
In 1982, the oil industry in Oklahoma began a rapid decline and Keith soon found himself unemployed. He fell back on his football training and played defensive end with the semi-pro Oklahoma City Drillers while continuing to perform with his band. (The Drillers were an unofficial farm club of the United States Football League's Oklahoma Outlaws; Keith tried out for the Outlaws but did not make the team.) He then returned to focus once again on music. His family and friends were doubtful he would succeed, but in 1984, Easy Money began playing the honky tonk circuit in Oklahoma and Texas. The band cut a single titled Blue Moon and the song received some airplay on local radio stations in Oklahoma.
================================
================================
۞ ۞ ۞ ------۩ NOTABLE AWARDS ۩ ------۞ ۞ ۞
=== - Academy of Country Music (ACM) - Album of the Year (2000) How Do You Like Me Now
=== - Academy of Country Music - Top Male Vocalist (2000)
=== - Country Music Association (CMA) - Male Vocalist of the Year (2001)
=== - Academy of Country Music - Entertainer of the Year (2002)
=== - Academy of Country Music - Entertainer of the Year (2003)
=== - Academy of Country Music - Top Male Vocalist (2003)
=== - Academy of Country Music - Album of the Year (2003) Shock'n Y'all
=== - Academy of Country Music - Video of the Year (2003) Beer For My Horses (with Willie Nelson)
=== - American Music Award (AMA) - Favorite Country Male Artist (2004)
=== - Country Music Association - Video of the Year (2005) As Good As I Once Was
=== - American Music Award - 7-time consecutive nominee as of 2007
