Passing of Country Music Icon Toby Keith (1961-2024)
/It is with profound sadness that I woke up this morning to the news that country music legend, Toby Keith, passed away after his battle with stomach cancer.
Toby was an amazing songwriter and musician, but as an NYPD 9/11 First Responder, he held a very dear place in my heart. While he is known for such hits as: Should’ve Been a Cowboy, Whiskey Girl, Beer For My Horses, and How Do You Like Me Know? the song that resonated deepest for me was: Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.
In the aftermath of the 9/11 Terror Attacks, there were three defining songs: Alan Jackson’s Where Were You? Darryl Worley’s Have You Forgotten, and the aforementioned Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue. These songs seemed to encapsulate the many emotions we faced as a nation: Pain and Resolve.
Toby put into words what we were all feeling in those dark days of September:
“Now this nation that I love has fallen under attack
A mighty sucker punch came flyin' in from somewhere in the back
Soon as we could see clearly
Through our big black eye
Man, we lit up your world
Like the fourth of July”
I remember once reading that it was a controversial song, and a knee-jerk reaction, and I felt dismayed. America is not perfect, but no country ever is, but there is a reason why everyone looks to us; wants to come here. For all our faults, we stand as a beacon for freedom and liberty. Our politicians might suck, but the average American has a heart of gold and will give you the shirt off their back if you are in need. We look upon the American flag with reverence, because we know the awful price that has been paid for the freedoms we enjoy. To paraphrase USMC General James Mattis, America is "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy."
It is a sad day for me, but, like so many of country music’s great singers, Toby’s music will live on. Outspoken, fearless, and unapologetically patriotic, he was undeniably country and he famously put into words what we were all feeling so many years ago. As a cancer survivor, and someone who lost his partner to this cruel disease, let me say this from the bottom of my heart: Fuck Cancer.
God Bless and Rest in Peace, Toby.
