Toby Keith made a surprise appearance at a popular Oklahoma sports bar and led a massive sing-along to his chart-topping debut single, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy.”
The country superstar recently attended the annual Bedlam basketball game at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma, which found Oklahoma University (OU) going head-to-head against its rival Oklahoma State. After the big game, which Oklahoma State won, Keith was spotted at the iconic Eskimo Joe’s sports bar leading the crowd in a massive sing-along.
Even though his beloved team (OU) had lost, Keith still went out to have some fun, where he led the sing-along of “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” with a huge group of college student and bar patrons.
In the clip, shared on social by a bar patron, Keith is seen singing along to his hit song while interacting with the crowd. He even jokingly pointed out one patron, who was not singing. “You ain’t singing,” he shouted.
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He Also Posed For Photos With Fans
In addition to leading a sing-along, Keith also posed for a few photos with fans in Eskimo Joe’s.
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Aside from this unplanned sing-along at the Oklahoma State University bar, Toby Keith has also popped up several other times at different establishments across the United States.
On November 18, 2022, Keith shocked unsuspecting patrons at a luxury boutique hotel in Norman, Oklahoma, called the Noun Hotel, when he crashed married country music duo Tim and Taylor Gore’s set at ONE Bar. He joined the duo for an impromptu 30-minute performance, where they performed nearly a dozen songs.
Together, Keith and the duo performed covers of tunes such as George Strait’s“Amarillo By Morning,” Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down To Georgia,” Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried,” Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Going On,” and Chuck Berry’s “Johnny Be Good,” and of course, they also sang several of Keith’s hits, including “I Love This Bar” and “Courtesy of The Red White & Blue,” amongst others.
@timandtaylorofficial We had so much fun last weekend in Norman, OK. Thanks for singing with us @Toby Keith !!! 🤠 #tobykeith #courtesyoftheredwhiteandblue #timandtaylor
Keith got a taste of live music when he returned to the stage for the first time since his diagnosis in early November of 2022, when he performed a surprise, 60-minute set at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky.
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Fans are happy to see Toby Keith doing well and getting out as he recovers from stomach cancer.
Will Toby Keith Return To The Road In The Near Future?
Keith recently sat down with CMT Hot 20 Countdown’s Cody Alan for a rare interview, which also marked his first televised interview since revealing his cancer diagnosis.
During the interview, Alan asked the “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” singer if he plans to return to the road in the near future, to which he replied, “Yeah, I’m thinking about… I’m thinking about getting back to fightin’ shape.”
While remaining hopeful for his touring future, Keith explained, “I need a little bit of time to just rest up and heal up. It’s pretty debilitating to have to go through all that, but as long as everything stays hunky-dory then we’ll look at something good in the future.”
You heard it here first! @tobykeith has plans to get back on the road after battling cancer 👊 More details on his road to recovery this weekend only on #cmtHot20! pic.twitter.com/3p3Rs5a1XM
— CMT Hot 20 Countdown (@cmtHot20) November 19, 2022
Last Year, Toby Keith Revealed He Was Diagnosed With Stomach Cancer
Toby Keith first revealed his cancer diagnosis with fans in early June of 2022.
“Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax,” the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member wrote at the time.
He added, “I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
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At the time of his diagnosis, Keith was forced to cancel all of his upcoming festival appearances and tour dates.
In 2021, Toby Keith released his 19th studio album, Peso In My Pocket. The project includes the fan-favorite track, “Old School,” as well as his brand-new radio single, “Oklahoma Breakdown.” Co-produced by Keith and Kenny Greenberg, the 10-track album includes songs co-written with Sammy Hagar, former frontman of Van Halen, as well as cuts from the Warren Brothers, Ryan Hurd, Maren Morris, Jessie Jo Dillon and more.
Keith, who is regarded as one of country music’s biggest hitmakers with 32 No. 1 single and 40+ million albums sold, has written a chart-topping hit every year for 20 consecutive years, including “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American),” “I Love This Bar,” “Beer For My Horses,” and “As Good As I Once Was.”
Toby Keith Was Recently Honored With The BMI Icon Award
The Oklahoma native was recognized for his career success in November 2022 with the BMI Icon Award at the 70th Annual BMI Country Awards. The BMI Icon Award is awarded to exceptional songwriters in recognition of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers,” according to a press release.
He is also a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (having already been inducted into the all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015), and was honored with the Academy of Country Music’s prestigious Merle Haggard Spirit Award.
The country hitmaker has a countless amount of accolades, including CMA Awards, Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, ACM Awards and more. The 61-year-old singer/songwriter has also been nominated for seven GRAMMY awards.
In addition to awards and chart success, Keith is known for giving back. His annual golf classics fund the Toby Keith Foundation and OK Kids Korral, a cost-free home for families of children dealing with critical illnesses, and his 11 USO tours have enhanced the lives of nearly 256,000 troops and military families.
In 2014, he was given the Spirit of the USO Award for his work with the organization, which has so far included 11 tours and more than 285 events. In an even more personal instance of philanthropy, he became the face of his hometown after it was ravaged by a tornado, shouldering the cleanup, and headlining the 2013 OK Twister Relief Concert.
