A bold strategy…but it paid off. When an artist is just getting their start, a call to open up for a legend like Toby Keith has to be one of the best feelings in the world. The opportunity to not only get to perform in front of that artist’s crowd but also get to learn from one of the best in the business is hard to put a price on…but Corey Kent knew exactly what his price was. Like Toby, Corey Kent is an Oklahoma native, and early in his career he was presented with the opportunity to open for the Big Dog Daddy thanks to their shared roots. As Corey explained during a recent chat with Whiskey Riff: “I want to say I was about…19 years old. And one of the guys that was working for Toby’s management had heard some of my stuff and knew I was from Oklahoma, kind of put my music in front of Toby. Toby liked my music, and so they said, ‘Hey, we want you to come open these shows. We got 500 bucks, and you can play for 500 bucks each of these nights.'” Now, you’d think that would be an immediate and resounding “yes” from any up-and-coming artist. But Corey revealed the ballsy move he made when the offer came through: “I was like, ‘I would love to do it. I need you to tell Toby I need 1,000 bucks.’ And the guy…was like, “Are you kidding me?” And I was like, ‘No, I think I’m worth 1,000 bucks.'” I mean, gotta respect the confidence. But it’s easy to see how a move like that could backfire and result in an artist losing what could be a career-making opportunity. Luckily for Corey though, as it turns out, Toby respected the courage it took to counter his offer: “He calls me back and he says, ‘Man, you got some balls.’ And he goes, ‘Toby loved that you counteroffered him.’ And he’s like, ‘He said yes and put him on not just three shows, put him on six shows.’ So I got to meet Toby on the road, and we just kind of had this – I don’t know, just like a lighthearted laugh about how we even ended up on the same stage.” Corey admits that he was “dumb” and “naive” at the time, but that he wanted to be respected in the industry and felt that he should counter the original offer. And he says that the result was getting to open for Toby Keith at one of his first real gigs as an artist: “He was at the height of his career. I mean, it was a really cool time to be opening up for Toby Keith. “Red Solo Cup” had just blown up. Obviously he’s got all the hits from the past, and it was a cool moment for me just because, you know, he’s a legend there in Oklahoma. … But it was kind of one of my first real shows, was opening up for Toby.” Gotta respect it. And honestly, it would benefit all artists if everybody was able to take the same approach and didn’t settle for less than what they feel they’re worth – though obviously I understand why they do it. Things worked out well for Corey, who’s since had success at country radio with songs like “Wild As Her,” “This Heart,” and his recent single “Rocky Mountain Low” with Koe Wetzel. He’ll also be releasing his next album, Heartland Rock and Roll, on September 25 – an album that took two years to make, but which Corey says will truly showcase his sound: “This record that I just put the finishing touches on feels like the arrival of my sound. I fully anticipate that when people think of Corey Kent, they will think of this record.”The post Corey Kent Made A Ballsy Move When He Was Asked To Open For Toby Keith – But It Paid Off first appeared on Whiskey Riff.