Krystal Keith Remembers Her Father, Toby Keith, ‘the Portrait of Strength and Courage’

The singer shares stories of her late country star father, celebrated in the TV tribute ‘Toby Keith: American Icon’

Edna Gundersen,

AARP

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Published August 27, 2024

Toby Keith with his daughter Krystal smiling together after their performance at the 38th Annual CMA Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville Tennessee

Toby Keith, left, and his daughter Krystal onstage during their performance at the 38th Annual CMA Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House on Nov. 9, 2004 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

To fans who mourned Toby Keith’s death at 62 on Feb. 5, the country star was the beloved Big Dog Daddy who sold 44 million albums and racked up 10 billion streams of such wry and brash hits as “How Do You Like Me Now?!” and “Beer for My Horses.”

For his daughter, Krystal Keith, 38, he was simply Daddy.

She and siblings Shelley and Stelen and their mother, Tricia Lucus, 61, were front and center at the all-star concert tribute Toby Keith: American Icon (Aug. 28, 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC), filmed July 29 in Nashville, Tennessee. The show features Krystal singing Keith’s “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” a mortality-themed song featured in the film The Mule, directed by Clint Eastwood, 94. Other performers include Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Ashley McBryde, Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker, 58, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral, which provides free lodging in Oklahoma City for families of children with cancer.

Krystal released her debut album, Whiskey & Lace, in 2013 after years of touring and performing with her dad. She tells AARP her memories of life with him at home and on the road.

Toby Keith playing his guitar at the iHeartCountry Festival at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin Texas

Toby Keith performs at the iHeartCountry Festival on Oct. 30, 2021 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.

Jack Plunkett/AP

How did your father cope with his illness?

He had a strong faith and relationship with Jesus. He got to a point of, “Whatever happens, I know where I’m going, and I’m at peace with that.” I think he fought longer than he would have on his own, because he wanted to do everything my mom asked him to, so she could feel she did all she could to help him. He really was the portrait of strength and courage. We weren’t surprised by the way he carried himself through his cancer journey.

What was Toby Keith like as a dad before his first hit in 1993?

I was 8 when he got his record deal and released “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” We watched our life shift a little bit, but he was always the same person, steadfast in his work ethic and his belief that things would work out.

How did he juggle a demanding career with family responsibilities?

We never felt like we were missing anything. Back when the only way to reach us was a pay phone, he called every night on tour and read us Bible stories. As we got a little older and he had a tour bus and enough money, he brought us on the road as long as it didn’t interfere with school or sports.

How did you spend the time?

My favorite moments were when I got to be on stage with him, the first time when I was 13. I started out standing in the back, singing along. Then I got to where I would do the national anthem. Where most singers start out in a tiny bar and work their way up, I started in 25,000-seat amphitheaters.

Krystal Keith onstage during her performance at the Toby Keith: American Icon tribute at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Tennessee

Krystal Keith performs onstage at the "Toby Keith: American Icon" tribute at Bridgestone Arena on July 29, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images

How did he prepare you for the stage?

He just threw me out there. I’m a lot like him. I don’t have a nervous bone in my body. He’d say, “If you screw up just keep moving. They may not even notice.”

Did he support your decision to pursue music?

He was always very supportive, but he was gun-shy of letting me get out there too early, afraid I wouldn’t be able to handle the stress. I have a strong personality. He said, “People will tell you you’re the best in the world or the worst. You’re neither. You’re somewhere in the middle. You need to do your thing and not care what other people think.”

Toby Keith was known as headstrong. How did you settle differences?

We rarely got into large arguments, but there were times we would disagree on everything from politics to school. We had similar personalities. He was always willing to hear our side out. He raised us to be as headstrong as he was.

What traits did you inherit from him?

His wit. I’m kind of a smart aleck. I’ll always have a comeback, like he did. I also inherited his sense of justice. I try to stand up for the little guy.

Explain his love for Oklahoma and his refusal to relocate to Nashville.

He wanted us to have as normal a life as we could, and that was more possible in Oklahoma than in Nashville, where everyone would know who we are and any mistakes we made would be hyper-examined.

He also had a deep loyalty to the University of Oklahoma and its Sooners football team.

He started at 12 to work at the stadium. When we were ready for college, UO was the only option he would pay for.

Toby was a controversial figure, yet people on either end of the political spectrum respected him.

He genuinely believed it’s not left and right. It’s right and wrong. The thing that was most controversial was performing for presidents, across the board for Democratic and Republican presidents [George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump]. When your president calls, you go. It’s about patriotism.

Did his father’s military service influence Toby’s support for veterans?

He had a line of veterans in his family, and he always felt bad that he didn’t join, but by 19, he had a child to raise. He tried to reconcile that and give back by working with USO. It was not about the war and whether he agreed or disagreed. The men and women over there didn’t get a choice. He went because they went.

What did the public get wrong about Toby Keith?

Some think he was a far-right-wing Republican, and some think he was a left-wing Democrat. It’s not my place to say what his party line was, but neither side is right. He loved the country and was making sure democracy was protected, that our troops were supported and that people stood up for the whole of our country and not one party.

What holidays stand out in your memory?

Fourth of July. Our dad was Captain America. Every Fourth of July, he would fill a pickup truck bed with fireworks. We would do fireworks for days.

What did your dad do when he had time off?

He got up every day and would go golf. He would watch Dodgers games. And every awards show, every event, my dad would have 20 of us in tow. We’re a tight group. What you see on stage is a bigger, louder version of what he is at home. He was an incredible dad.

You secretly recorded your first solo single, “Daddy Dance With Me.” How did your dad react when he heard it at your wedding in 2007?

He was touched, and he wasn’t expecting it, but he talked all the way through it because he was trying not to cry. He admitted later on, he had a few tears.

Are you concerned about upholding his legacy in music and philanthropy?

We have made it our mission to make sure the foundation and OK Kids Korral survive and thrive. As far as his music goes, I don’t think it will be hard to keep that legacy going.

What fatherly advice has stayed with you?

If something is not going the way you want, find a way to make it work for you. Everything he did, from horse pedigrees to golf to songwriting, he did wholeheartedly. In our society now, our attention span is so short that if we don’t master something quick, we get frustrated and move on. Watching him grow something out of nothing over and over again was inspirational. He taught me not to wallow in the negative.

What will you miss most about him?

Probably his humor. He was the life of the party.

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