I have created well over 2,000 medleys, but very few of them have been career retrospectives of artists who left us much too soon. John Lennon, George Harrison, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty are among the few who have received that honor.

Today I am adding another name. Toby Keith passed away on February 5 at the age of 62, following a battle with stomach cancer. He was, without question, my all-time favorite country singer.

He released 21 studio albums. He released 69 singles, with 65 of them charting on the Billboard country chart; 55 reached the Top 40, 42 made the Top 10, and 20 hit #1. I don’t pretend to think I have captured everyone’s favorite Toby song, but I did try to capture the essence of the man.

He was a staunch supporter of American veterans, and he was firm in his belief that troops overseas deserved his – and our – respect. Keith made numerous trips to the Middle East, starting in 2002, to perform for those serving in the U.S. military.

“I don’t apologize for being patriotic. If there is something socially incorrect about being patriotic and supporting your troops, then they can kiss my ass on that, because I’m not going to budge on that at all.“

And he never did.

Memories … That’s What We’re All About

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Remembering Toby Keith