Editing Toby Keith (section)

==Musical career==
Keith went to [[Nashville, Tennessee]], where he [[busking|busked]] along [[Music Row]] to no avail, until producer [[Harold Shedd]] signed him with [[Mercury Records]] after receiving a copy of Keith's demo tape from a flight attendant who was a fan of Keith's.<ref name="nyt" />

===1993–1995: ''Toby Keith'' and ''Boomtown''===
Keith's debut single, "[[Should've Been a Cowboy]]", went to number one<ref name="chart">{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/toby-keith/chart-history/csi/ |title=Toby Keith Chart History: Hot Country Songs |publisher=Billboard |access-date=February 17, 2024}}</ref> on the U.S. [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] [[Hot Country Songs]] chart in 1993, and it reached number 93 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref name="whitburn"/> This song led off his [[Toby Keith (album)|self-titled debut album]]. Certified platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) for shipments of one million copies, the album produced three more Top 5 hits on the country charts with "[[He Ain't Worth Missing]]" (at #5),<ref name="chart"/> "[[A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action]]" (originally the [[B-side]] of "Should've Been a Cowboy"), and "[[Wish I Didn't Know Now]]" (both at #2).<ref name="whitburn">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc|year=2008|pages=219–220|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}</ref> [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] of [[AllMusic]] wrote of the album, "It is given a production that's a bit too big, clean, glossy and cavernous for Keith's good—it fits the outsized sound of early-'90s radio, but not his outsized talent—but beneath that sheen the songs are very strong." He also thought that it showed the signs of the style that Keith would develop on subsequent albums.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/toby-keith-mw0000095272|title=''Toby Keith'' review|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|work=AllMusic|access-date=July 9, 2013}}</ref> The album's success led to Keith touring with then-labelmates [[Shania Twain]] and [[John Brannen (singer)|John Brannen]].<ref name="waddell"/> Keith and Twain also appeared in [[Tracy Lawrence]]'s music video for "[[My Second Home]]" in 1993.

Keith then signed with [[Polydor Records]] Nashville and released his second album, ''[[Boomtown (Toby Keith album)|Boomtown]]'', in September 1994. Also certified platinum, this album was led off by the number one single "[[Who's That Man]]". After it, "[[Upstairs Downtown]]" and "[[You Ain't Much Fun]]" both made the Top 10, while "[[Big Ol' Truck]]" peaked at number 15. By late-1995, he released his first Christmas album, ''[[Christmas to Christmas]]'', via Mercury. Composed entirely of original songs, the album produced one chart entry in "Santa I'm Right Here", which reached as high as number 50 based on Christmas airplay.<ref name="whitburn"/>

===1996–1998: ''Blue Moon'', ''Dream Walkin{{'}}'', and ''Greatest Hits Volume One''===
Keith then signed with the short-lived Nashville division of [[A&M Records]] to release his third album ''[[Blue Moon (Toby Keith album)|Blue Moon]]'' in April 1996. That album received a platinum certification and produced three singles. Its first single, "[[Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine on You]]", which Keith wrote in 1987,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WB&s_site=timesleader&p_multi=WB&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB71C278953DD73&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Nothing shaky about Keith's music success|date=November 12, 1996|work=The Times-Leader|page=1C|access-date=March 28, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MT&s_site=macon&p_multi=MT&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB76D3553C1FB48&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Stages are set|date=March 29, 1996|work=Macon Telegraph|page=1D|access-date=March 28, 2010}}</ref> peaked at number 2. Following it were "[[A Woman's Touch (song)|A Woman's Touch]]" at number 6, and "[[Me Too (Toby Keith song)|Me Too]]", which became his third number one hit in March 1997.<ref name="whitburn"/> Keith also appeared on [[The Beach Boys]]' now out-of-print 1996 album ''[[Stars and Stripes Vol. 1]]'' performing a cover of their 1963 hit "[[Be True to Your School]]" with the Beach Boys themselves providing the harmonies and backing vocals.<ref name=ten/>

Following a corporate merger, Keith returned to Mercury in 1997. His fourth studio album, ''[[Dream Walkin']]'', was also his first produced by [[James Stroud]], who would also serve as Keith's co-producer until 2005.<ref name="allmusic"/> It produced two consecutive number 2 hits with "[[We Were in Love]]" and a cover of [[Sting (musician)|Sting]]'s 1996 single "[[I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying]]". Sting also sang duet vocals and played bass guitar on it,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADA35EBA81992C&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title= Keith, Sting duet gives tune second wind|date=November 7, 1997|work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]|page=P3|access-date=July 3, 2009}}</ref> and the two also performed the song at the 1997 [[Country Music Association]] awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1473203/31st-annual-cma-awards-show.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116005230/http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1473203/31st-annual-cma-awards-show.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 16, 2009|title=31st Annual CMA Awards Show|last=Wix|first=Kimmy|date=September 24, 1997|work=[[Country Music Television|CMT]]|access-date=July 3, 2009}}</ref> After this song, the album's [[Dream Walkin' (song)|title track]] reached number 5, while "Double Wide Paradise" peaked at number 40.<ref name="whitburn"/>

Keith's last Mercury release was ''[[Greatest Hits Volume One (Toby Keith album)|Greatest Hits Volume One]]'' in October 1998. The album included twelve of his prior singles and two new songs: the [[country rap]] "[[Getcha Some]]"<ref name="rap">{{cite web|url=http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/braddock.htm|title= Bobby Braddock article|access-date=July 19, 2007|last=Crossan|first=Jeff|work=Songwriter Universe}}</ref> and "If a Man Answers". Both were released as singles, with "Getcha Some" reaching the Top 20, but "If a Man Answers" became his first single to miss the Top 40.<ref name="whitburn"/> According to Keith, these two songs were originally to be put on a studio album, but Mercury executives, dissatisfied with the album that Keith had made, chose to put those two songs on a greatest hits package, and asked him to "go work on another album". After he recorded two more songs which the label also rejected, he asked to terminate his contract with the label.<ref name="waddell">{{cite magazine|last=Waddell|first=Ray|date=June 18, 2005|title=Toby Keith: Superstar graduates from 'Honkytonk University'|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=117|issue=25|pages=45, 46, 48, 50|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2RQEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22toby+keith%22+%22when+love+fades%22&pg=PA48}}</ref> After exiting Mercury, Keith co-wrote [[Shane Minor]]'s debut single "[[Slave to the Habit]]" with [[Chuck Cannon]] and [[Kostas Lazarides|Kostas]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Benitez-Eves |first=Tina |date=May 3, 2023 |title=3 Songs You Didn't Know Toby Keith Wrote for Other Artists |url=https://americansongwriter.com/3-songs-you-didnt-know-toby-keith-wrote-for-other-artists/ |access-date=February 17, 2024 |website=American Songwriter |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Toby Keith in concert.jpg|thumb|upright|Toby Keith in 2004]]

===1999–2002: ''How Do You Like Me Now?!'' and ''Pull My Chain''===
In 1999, Keith moved to [[DreamWorks Records]]' Nashville division, of which Stroud served as president.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1486882/dreamworks-nashville-merges-with-mercury-and-mca.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201638/http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1486882/dreamworks-nashville-merges-with-mercury-and-mca.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 29, 2013|title=DreamWorks Nashville Merges With Mercury and MCA|last=Gilbert|first=Calvin|date=May 7, 2004|work=CMT|access-date=July 9, 2013}}</ref> His first release for the label was "When Love Fades", which also failed to make Top 40.<ref name="whitburn"/> Upon seeing the single's poor performance, Keith requested that it be withdrawn and replaced with "[[How Do You Like Me Now?! (song)|How Do You Like Me Now?!]]", a song that he wrote with Chuck Cannon, and which had previously been turned down by Mercury.<ref name="waddell"/> It also served as the title track to his first DreamWorks album, ''[[How Do You Like Me Now?!]]'' The song spent five weeks at number 1 on the country charts, and became his first top 40 pop hit, with a number 31 peak on the Hot 100.<ref name="whitburn"/> It was also the top country song of 2000 according to the [[Billboard Year-End]] chart.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2000/hot-country-songs| title=Best of 2000: Country Songs | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] |year=2000 | access-date=August 15, 2012}}</ref> The album, which was certified platinum, produced a Top 5 hit in "[[Country Comes to Town]]" and another number 1 in "[[You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This]]". It was also his first album to feature songs co-written by [[Scotty Emerick]], who would be a frequent collaborator of Keith's for the next several albums. Steve Huey wrote that this album "had a rough, brash attitude that helped give Keith a stronger identity as a performer."<ref name="allmusic"/> In 2001, Keith won the [[Academy of Country Music]]'s Top Male Vocalist and Album of the Year awards.<ref name="allmusic"/>

Following this album was ''[[Pull My Chain]]'', released in August 2001. The album's three singles—"[[I'm Just Talkin' About Tonight]]", "[[I Wanna Talk About Me]]", and "[[My List]]"—all went to number 1 on the country charts, with the latter two both holding that position for five weeks.<ref name="whitburn"/> "I Wanna Talk About Me", written by [[Bobby Braddock]], also displayed a country rap influence with its spoken-word lyrics.<ref name="rap"/> The [[Country Music Association]] named "My List" as Single of the Year in 2002.<ref name="whitburn"/> Of ''Pull My Chain'', Erlewine wrote that "this is a bigger, better record than its predecessor, possessing a richer musicality and a more confident sense of humor".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/pull-my-chain-mw0000012267|title=''Pull My Chain'' review|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|work=AllMusic|access-date=July 9, 2013}}</ref>

===2002–2004: ''Unleashed'' and ''Shock'n Y'all''===
In 2002, he released the ''[[Unleashed (Toby Keith album)|Unleashed]]'' album which included four singles. First was "[[Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)]]", which Keith wrote in 20 minutes as a response to the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]]. The song references Keith's father, a [[United States Army]] veteran who died that March in a car accident.<ref name="cbs">{{cite news |url= http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/05/earlyshow/leisure/music/main582006.shtml |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130119003328/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/05/earlyshow/leisure/music/main582006.shtml |url-status= dead |archive-date= January 19, 2013 |title= Toby Keith: Being Honest On 'Red, White & Blue,' CMAs And 'Shock'n Y'all' |author= CBS News |work= The Early Show |date= November 5, 2003 }}</ref> Both this song and "[[Who's Your Daddy? (Toby Keith song)|Who's Your Daddy?]]" were number 1 hits, with "[[Rock You Baby]]" reaching number 13. The last single was "[[Beer for My Horses]]", a duet with [[Willie Nelson]] which spent six weeks at the top of the country charts. At the time, it was also Keith's highest entry on the Hot 100, at number 22.<ref name="whitburn"/> In July 2003, Keith made a guest appearance on Scotty Emerick's debut single "I Can't Take You Anywhere", which was previously recorded by Keith on ''Pull My Chain''. Emerick's version of the song was his only top 40 country hit, at number 27.<ref name="whitburn"/>

''[[Shock'n Y'all]]'', his eighth studio album, was released in November 2003. The album's title is a pun on the military term "[[shock and awe]]".<ref name="cbs"/> It became his second album from which all singles went to number 1: "[[I Love This Bar]]", "[[American Soldier (song)|American Soldier]]", and "[[Whiskey Girl]]".<ref name="whitburn"/> Also included on the disc were "The Taliban Song" and "Weed with Willie", two live songs recorded with Emerick.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Jude|date=February 6, 2024 |title=How Many Times Did Toby Keith Play the Cajundome? |url=https://973thedawg.com/remembering-all-the-times-toby-keith-headlined-the-cajundome-in-lafayette-louisiana/ |access-date=February 17, 2024 |website=97.3 The Dawg |language=en}}</ref> The album was followed in late 2004 by ''[[Greatest Hits 2 (Toby Keith album)|Greatest Hits 2]]'', which included three new songs: "[[Stays in Mexico]]", "Go with Her", and a cover of [[Inez and Charlie Foxx]]'s "[[Mockingbird (Inez & Charlie Foxx song)|Mockingbird]]", recorded as a duet with his daughter, [[Krystal Keith]]. "Stays in Mexico" was a number 3 hit on the country charts, while "Mockingbird" peaked at number 27.<ref name=chart/>

Keith's final DreamWorks album was ''[[Honkytonk University]]'' in early 2005. Lead-off single "[[Honkytonk U]]" peaked at number 8, followed by "[[As Good as I Once Was]]", which spent six weeks at number 1, and "[[Big Blue Note]]" at number 5.<ref name="whitburn"/> After the release of the latter, DreamWorks Records ceased operations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shafer |first=Ellise |date=February 6, 2024 |title=Toby Keith, Country Music Star Who Sang 'Should've Been a Cowboy,' Dies at 62 |url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/toby-keith-dead-country-singer-shouldve-been-a-cowboy-1235899215/ |access-date=February 19, 2024 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

===2005–2024: After DreamWorks===
{{more citations needed|section|date=February 2024}}
On August 31, 2005, Keith founded a new label, [[Show Dog Nashville]]. Its first release was his 2006 album ''[[White Trash with Money]]'', followed by the soundtrack to ''[[Broken Bridges]]''. He also abandoned Stroud as co-producer in favor of Cannon's wife, [[Lari White]]. The album included three singles: "[[Get Drunk and Be Somebody]]", "[[A Little Too Late (Toby Keith song)|A Little Too Late]]", and "[[Crash Here Tonight]]". ''[[Big Dog Daddy]]'' followed in 2007, with Keith serving as sole producer. Its singles were "[[High Maintenance Woman]]", "[[Love Me If You Can]]", and "[[Get My Drink On]]". "Love Me If You Can" became Keith's first number 1 hit since "As Good as I Once Was" more than two years prior.<ref name="whitburn"/> A two-disc Christmas album, ''[[A Classic Christmas (Toby Keith album)|A Classic Christmas]]'', followed later in 2007.<ref name="allmusic"/> In 2008, Keith completed his Biggest and Baddest Tour. On May 6, 2008, he released ''[[35 Biggest Hits]]'', a two-disc compilation featuring most of his singles to date,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.countryweekly.com/scoop/2812 |title=Toby To Release Greatest Hits CD |publisher=Country Weekly |date=January 16, 2008 |access-date=October 28, 2013}}</ref> as well as the new song "[[She's a Hottie]]", which peaked at number 13 on Billboard's country songs chart.<ref name=chart/>

Keith released "[[She Never Cried in Front of Me]]", which went to number 1 in 2008. Its corresponding album, ''[[That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy]]'', followed on October 28, 2008. It was followed by "[[God Love Her]]", also a number 1 hit, and "[[Lost You Anyway]]". ''[[American Ride (Toby Keith album)|American Ride]]'', in 2009, produced another number 1 in its [[American Ride (song)|title track]]. It was followed by the Top 10 hit "[[Cryin' for Me (Wayman's Song)]]", a tribute to basketball player and jazz bassist [[Wayman Tisdale]], a friend of Keith's who died in May 2009.<ref name="gear">{{cite magazine|last=Graff|first=Gary|date=June 13, 2009|title=Toby Keith's ''American Ride'' in High Gear|magazine=Billboard|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/268139/toby-keiths-american-ride-in-high-gear}}</ref>

''[[Bullets in the Gun]]'' was released on October 5, 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=11453_Toby_Keith_Preps_Bullets_In_The_Gun |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120918050835/http://www.undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=11453_Toby_Keith_Preps_Bullets_In_The_Gun |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 18, 2012 |title=Toby Keith Preps Bullets In The Gun  |publisher=Undercover.com.au |date=July 26, 2010 |access-date=March 26, 2012 }}</ref> This was Keith's first album not to produce any top 10 singles,{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} with "[[Trailerhood]]" reaching number 19, followed by the [[Bullets in the Gun (song)|title track]] and "[[Somewhere Else (Toby Keith song)|Somewhere Else]]" both at number 12.<ref name=chart /> Keith produced the album with {{citation needed span|session guitarist Kenny Greenberg and recording engineer|date=February 2024}} [[Mills Logan]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 25, 2018 |title=A Tale of a Modern Cowboy, "Bullets in the Gun" by Toby Keith |url=https://www.countrythangdaily.com/toby-keith-bullets-gun/ |access-date=February 19, 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref>

On October 25, 2011, ''[[Clancy's Tavern]]'' was released. The album included the single "[[Made in America (Toby Keith song)|Made in America]]", written by Keith along with [[Bobby Pinson]] and [[Scott Reeves]], which went to number 1. Following it was "[[Red Solo Cup]]", which had previously been made into a music video which became popular. Upon release as a single, "Red Solo Cup" became Keith's best-peaking crossover, reaching number 15 on the Hot 100. The album's final single was "[[Beers Ago]]" at number 6 in 2012. In December 2011, Keith was named "Artist of the Decade" by the American Country Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/carrie-underwood-jason-aldean-win-big-at-american-country-awards-20111206 |title=Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean Win Big at American Country Awards &#124; Music News |publisher=Rolling Stone |date=December 6, 2011 |access-date=October 28, 2013}}</ref>

Keith's sixteenth album, ''[[Hope on the Rocks]]'', was released in late 2012. It produced only two singles, both of which are top 20 hits: "[[I Like Girls That Drink Beer]]" reached at number 17 and the [[Hope on the Rocks (song)|title track]] peaked at number 18.<ref name=chart />

In mid-2013, he entered the charts with "[[Drinks After Work (song)|Drinks After Work]]", the first single from his seventeenth album, also titled ''[[Drinks After Work]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sterdan|first=Darryl|title=Miley Cyrus, NIN top the 2013 fall music preview|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2013/08/29/21084671.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130830234630/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2013/08/29/21084671.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 30, 2013|access-date=August 30, 2013|newspaper=[[Canoe.ca]]|date=August 29, 2013}}</ref> The album's second single is "Shut Up and Hold On".{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

In October 2014, Keith released "[[Drunk Americans]]", the lead single from his eighteenth studio album, ''[[35 MPH Town]]''. In April 2015, Keith released "[[35 MPH Town (song)|35 MPH Town]]", the album's title track and second single. In 2015, Keith was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://theboot.com/toby-keith-new-album-35-mph-town/ | title=Toby Keith Announces New Album | publisher=The Boot | date=October 14, 2014 | access-date=October 21, 2014}}</ref>

In September 2017, Keith released the compilation album, ''[[The Bus Songs]]''. The album contains twelve songs: two new, five re-recorded, and five previously released songs. The new songs on the album are "Shitty Golfer" and "Wacky Tobaccy". In the U.S. ''The Bus Songs'' topped the ''Billboard'' [[Comedy Albums]] chart for 11 weeks.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/toby-keith/chart-history/gig/|title=Toby Keith Comedy Albums Chart History|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] }}</ref> It also reached number 6 on the Top Country Albums chart<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/toby-keith/chart-history/clp/|title=Toby Keith Top Country Albums Chart History|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] }}</ref> and 38 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/toby-keith/chart-history/tlp/|title=Toby Keith The Bus Songs Chart History|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] }}</ref>

In 2021, Keith featured on the [[Brantley Gilbert]] single "[[The Worst Country Song of All Time]]" with [[Hardy (singer)|Hardy]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Parton|title=BRANTLEY GILBERT, TOBY KEITH AND HARDY TEAM FOR 'THE WORST COUNTRY SONG'|url=https://www.soundslikenashville.com/music/brantley-gilbert-toby-keith-hardy-worst-country-song/|date=June 18, 2021|work=Sounds Like Nashville}}</ref>

On January 13, 2021, President Trump awarded Keith the [[National Medal of Arts]]. The award was given in a closed ceremony, alongside fellow country musician [[Ricky Skaggs]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Impeachment with a Toby Keith chaser. What, exactly, is the National Medal of Arts? |last=Gelt |first=Jessica |website=Los Angeles Times on MSN |access-date=January 13, 2021 |url= https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-01-13/impeachment-national-medal-of-arts-toby-keith-ricky-skaggs}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Donald Trump Reportedly Presents Toby Keith & Ricky Skaggs With National Medal of the Arts |last=Aniftos |first=Rania |access-date=January 13, 2021 |magazine=billboard |url= https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9510975/donald-trump-toby-keith-ricky-skaggs-national-medal-of-the-arts/}}</ref>

On September 28, 2023, after receiving the first Country Icon Award at the People's Choice Country Awards, Keith performed publicly for the first time since his June 2022 cancer diagnosis announcement. His performance of "[[Don't Let the Old Man In]]", which was previously used in [[Clint Eastwood]]'s 2018 film [[The Mule (2018 film)|''The Mule'']], received a standing ovation.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://theboot.com/ixp/204/p/toby-keith-dont-let-the-old-man-in-itunes/ | title=Toby Keith's 'Don't Let the Old Man In' Tops iTunes Chart After Emotional TV Performance | website=The Boot | date=October 4, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://americansongwriter.com/the-meaning-behind-toby-keiths-solemn-ballad-dont-let-the-old-man-in/ | title=The Meaning Behind Toby Keith's Solemn Ballad "Don't Let the Old Man In" | date=October 3, 2023}}</ref>

Keith's final performance was held in [[Las Vegas|Las Vegas, Nevada]], at the [[Park MGM]], on December 14, 2023.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Greene |first=Andy |date=February 6, 2024 |title=Watch Toby Keith's Last Performance of 'Should've Been a Cowboy' at Final Concert |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/toby-keith-final-concert-shouldve-been-a-cowboy-1234962121/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> His last studio recording was included on ''[[Hixtape: Vol. 3: Difftape]]'', a [[tribute album]] to [[Joe Diffie]], to which Keith joined [[Luke Combs]] on a rendition of Diffie's single "[[Ships That Don't Come In]]".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://musicrow.com/2024/03/hixtape-vol-3-difftape-reimagines-joe-diffie-classics-with-special-collaborations/ | title='Hixtape: Vol. 3: Difftape' Reimagines Joe Diffie Classics With Special Collaborations | publisher=[[MusicRow]] | date=March 29, 2024 | accessdate=September 21, 2024 | author=Lorie Hollabaugh}}</ref>

In March 2024, one month after his death, it was announced that Keith would be posthumously inducted into the [[Country Music Hall of Fame]], having been elected just hours after his death.<ref name="variety"/>