02/10/2024
Really really liked this reflection on
Thank you Chely Wright for sharing such heartfelt sentiments … 💔
I’ve been thinking about Toby’s passing all day long. It’s a devastating loss for Tricia and their kids and all the close friends who love this family. I was lucky to know Toby Keith. He and I were the flagship artists on Polydor Nashville / A&M Records back in the early 90’s. He’d had a couple of big hits over on Mercury Records and I was just starting out, so of course I hung on every word he said and I paid close attention to how he went about conducting business. The great Harold Shedd had signed us both to Mercury and sometime in 1993, he took us over to Polydor. We all sort felt like our fates were inextricably linked. The vibe at the label was that of a startup. The team was scrappy, smart, creative and we had something to prove. Harold gave me wise advice one day as Toby was walking out of a room. Harold did a little head tip in Toby’s direction and said, “Follow that guy. He knows what he’s doing.” So I did. Toby modeled some really important behaviors that I did my best to embed into how I handled myself and into my way of working. There’s a lot I can say about his talents as a songwriter and a performer (gifted, prolific and authentic), but I think the thing that has always stood out to me about Toby was that he was a good person. He was generous with his time, thoughtful with his words, purposeful in his actions and true to who he was. Always. Not sometimes, not most of the time, but always.
Rest in peace, Toby.
“… Sleepin’ out all night beneath the desert stars
With a dream in my eye and a prayer in my heart…”