Country music giant Toby Keith died peacefully of stomach cancer Monday in his native Oklahoma. He was 62. He’s survived by his wife‚ Tricia‚ and three children. His family was with him at his death. Keith was a country megastar‚ scoring 20 No. 1 country hits and selling more than 40 million albums. He ran the table on country music awards. He wrote most of his own songs and was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015. His songs contain the clever wording‚ humor‚ and patriotism that account for why country music has millions of fans (include me in). One of the great song titles of all time is Keith’s “Beer for My Horses.” Keith’s breakout hit in 1993 was “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” (How many accountants have thought this at tax season?) More hits followed: “How Do You Like Me Now?!”; “I Wanna Talk About Me”; “I Love This Bar”; “As Good as I Once Was”; and others. One of his later hits was “Don’t Let the Old Man In‚” the theme song of Clint Eastwood’s most recent movie‚ Cry Macho. (READ MORE from Larry Thornberry: The Good‚ the Bad‚ and the Unlikely) Keith was the authentic country item‚ born in Clinton‚ Oklahoma. His father was an oilfield worker‚ his mother a housewife. Before his musical success‚ Keith worked as a rodeo hand and an oilfield roughneck. He even played defensive end for a bit for the semi-pro Oklahoma City Drillers. (Keith was a big‚ strong boy.) He clearly has the blue-collar bona fides of so many country stars. Before success called on him‚ Keith paid his dues‚ working first in an Oklahoma group called the Easy Money Band‚ which played in some rough night spots. When Keith made it to Nashville‚ he started out busking on streets corners. Overnight success took years. But it came‚ and it was well deserved. After 9/11‚ Keith’s songs took on a more patriotic tone‚ including “Courtesy of the Red‚ White and Blue.” This one stuck in many liberal craws‚ creating a tiny backlash among those for whom 100-proof patriotism causes a rash. The New York Times obit writer said that the song could be heard as either “a patriotic rallying cry or a jingoistic rant.” No points for guessing how Keith and the song are seen in the Times newsroom. Faced with the small-bore kvetching from the left‚ Keith shrugged it off by saying that he would never apologize for “being patriotic.” Keith never served his country in uniform‚ but he had the greatest respect for those who did‚ doing 11 overseas USO tours singing for the troops‚ with whom he was a great favorite. His father did serve‚ losing an eye in service. Keith said he never complained of this and flew an American flag at his house every day. Keith was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2020. He fought it with chemotherapy‚ radiation‚ and surgery. This grueling regimen allowed his to return to the stage for final concerts in Las Vegas last December. But he lost his battle Monday. In a statement‚ his family said‚ “He fought his fight with grace and courage.” NO one who knew Keith could doubt this. In addition to his successful music career‚ Keith knew the meaning of “give back.” He was active in and generous to various charities‚ including building a home in Oklahoma City for children battling cancer. Keith was a fine country singer‚ a true gent‚ and a great American. RIP‚ cowboy. You done good. We’re sorry to see you go so soon. The post A Tip of the Cowboy Hat to Toby Keith appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.