Published: March 18, 2024billydukesWhy Toby Keith Is Right for the Country Music Hall of Fame

Toby Keith’s induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame wasn’t a matter of if, but when.

There are a dozen reasons why the 1990s and 2000s country icon belongs, and perhaps only two why he might not.

• On Monday (March 18), Toby Keith, John Anderson and James Burton were named as the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.
• They’ll become the 153rd, 154th and 155th members during a ceremony this fall.
• Keith died after a two-year battle with cancer on Feb. 5, 2024.

Related: Toby Keith’s 20 Best Songs

For more than 30 years, Keith made, sold and performed hit country music. Find a boilerplate with all the numbers below. Kenny Chesney may be the only contemporary with a similar stat sheet and an equally uninterrupted run as (to use a cliché) an A-lister.

Songwriting is what separates Keith, however. In fact, during a conversation with Taste of Country Nights last fall, he stressed that the Nashville and National Songwriting Halls of Fame were his goals in his career, and he joined both in 2021 and 2015, respectively.

To underline this point, Keith made 100% Songwriter his final release last fall. The 13-track compilation was exclusively songs he wrote alone. It’s an impressive list that includes “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “Wish I Didn’t Know Now,” “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American)” and “Who’s Your Daddy?”

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In recent years, the Country Music Hall of Fame has rewarded an artist less for what they did than how they did it. Stringing together 25 Top 10 hits (see Anne Murray, who has 10 No. 1 songs) isn’t enough.

Tanya Tucker (Class of 2023), Jerry Lee Lewis, Keith Whitley (both Class of 2022), Ray Charles (Class of 2021) and Marty Stuart (Class of 2020) all have fewer bullet points and commercial country music accolades (CMAs, ACMs, etc …), but each was an original artist that strongly influenced the next generation.

That’s true of Keith, as well. He combined country and rock in a way Jason Aldean would later make a career of. He pivoted between honky-tonk ramblers and sensitive love songs in a way Luke Combs does in 2024. Would Eric Church thrive if the industry didn’t have Toby to use as proof of concept during those dark early years?

Toby was hardly the first to “do it his way,” but he was a bridge between do-it-my-way artists of the ’80s, ’90s and mid-’00s. That was a soft, pop-friendly time in country music. It’s part of why so many find Keith and his style of music abrasive.

Which brings us to the two valid reasons why Keith doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. The first is subjective: you just don’t like him or his music. For every country fan who loves Toby Keith, there are more who don’t. Then, there are those who believe his form of patriotism in his music invited prejudice.

A more objective reason is that often two things are necessary for an artist to gain Hall of Fame admission while active (which Toby would be if not for cancer): A CMA Entertainer of the Year award and membership to the Grand Ole Opry.

While nominated for four straight years, Keith never took the CMA EOY (in this case, CMA > ACM, as they lend a hand in picking inductees), and he wasn’t invited to be an Opry member.

The above list of “outlaws” proves a willingness to look past those data points, but it’s worth noting that Whitley, Tucker, Lewis and Hank Williams Jr. were all inducted at a far later stage in their careers (or further after death, in Whitley’s case) than Keith.

The obvious and probably unspoken question is if Keith’s death hastened his induction. During that ToC interview, he genuinely seemed surprised to be answering Hall of Fame questions, but he might just have a great poker face.

Prior to the announcement that Keith was in on Wednesday (March 18), CMA CEO Sarah Trahern explained that the ballot for the 2024 class closed on Feb. 2, to be opened on Feb. 6.

Keith died on Feb. 5, meaning he never knew he’d gotten in. He died one day too soon.

13 Toby Keith Facts You Probably Never KnewToby Keith lived a fascinating life, but even fans who thought they knew everything about this country music hero will learn a thing or two on this list of 13 Toby Keith facts.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

Toby Keith’s daughter Shelly, with the singer, his wife Tricia and daughter KrystalTricia Covel with Toby KeithToby Keith with son Stelen and wife TriciaYoung Toby Keith in football gearToby Keith in 2001Toby Keith performing live in January 2015Cover of Toby Keith’s 35 Biggest Hits albumToby Keith in 2021Willie Nelson and Toby Keith before Super Bowl XXXVIIIToby Keith as Joe Bill “Rack” Racklin in ‘Beer for My Horses’Toby keith on the cover of Forbes magazineToby keith performs in Texas in 2021Toby Keith at the 2022 BMI Country AwardsToby Keith’s 25 Best Songs Prove He’s a Country IconToby Keith reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart 20 times during his 30-plus year career, but some of this best songs were deep cuts.Here are his greatest hits — the top songs from 19 studio albums and beyond.Toby Keith died on Feb. 5, 2024 after a two-year battle with stomach cancer.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

Cover of Toby keith’s Red Solo CupNo. 24: “Whiskey Girl” (From ‘Shock’n Y’all,’ 2003)No. 23: “Me Too” (From ‘Blue Moon,’ 1996)Cover of Toby Keith’s Unleashed albumNo. 21: “American Ride” (From ‘American Ride,’ 2009)Cover of Toby Keith’s Clancy’s Tavern AlbumCover of Toby Keith’s She Never Cried In Front of MeCover of Toby Keith’s Big Dog Daddy AlbumPhoto of Toby Keith from the “Who’s That Man” music videoCover of Toby Keith’s I Love This BarNo. 15: “God Love Her” (From ‘That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy,’ 2008)Toby Keith poses with Willie NelsonCover of Toby Keith’s Boomtown AlbumPhoto of Toby Keith from the “I’m Just Talking About Tonight” music videoPhoto of Toby Keith from his My List music videoPhoto of Toby Keith from the “I Wanna Talk About Me” music videoToby Keith performs live on stageCover of Toby Keith’s Blue Moon albumCover of Toby Keith’s Shock’n Y’all AlbumCover of Toby Keith’s Honkytonk University albumCover of Toby Keith’s How Do You Like Me Now? albumCover of Toby Keith’s American Ride albumCover of Toby Keith’s 35 Biggest Hits albumPicture of Toby Keith performing “Don’t Let the Old Man In”Picture of Toby Keith from the “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” music video