How Toby Keith Kept His Family’s Life Normal

Published: September 2, 2024

How Toby Keith Kept His Family’s Life Normal

By Movieguide® Contributor

Despite her father being one of the most famous and influential country singers of all time, Krystal Keith recalls a normal childhood and not understanding that her father was unique.

“I think I thought everybody’s dad had a job like my dad…he might as well have been a plumber. In fact, that’s what I told people he did,” Krystal told Fox News Digital. “Later in life, when people would find out who he was, and then they would come ask me a question I knew they knew the answer, they’d be like, ‘What does your dad do for a living?’ I’d be like, ‘He’s a plumber.’”

“And then they’d be like, ‘What’s his name?’ And it was always Mark,” she continued. “My second favorite thing was to say Garth Brooks, because they were already, like, they knew he was a singer. They were expecting Toby Keith, and I’d be like, ‘My dad’s Garth Brooks!’ I never wanted to give them what they expected.”

Though Krystal eventually came to realize that her father was famous — and that was not normal — it was not until he had been a star for years. Although Keith’s success allowed his family to live a more comfortable life, they continued to live modestly, just less stressed about the bills.

“We had an incredibly normal childhood, so it wasn’t like our lives changed drastically,” Krystal said. “It was just, the things we were able to afford became a little bit different. My mom wasn’t stressing about, you know, where the light bill was getting paid. I mean, that was something we never knew anything about from the time we lived in a trailer.”

“We could have been rich then. I didn’t know the difference,” she continued. “We never wanted for everything…we always had everything we needed.”

Keith’s career was marked by humbleness and hard work, two qualities that allowed him to become the massive star he was and remain beloved by the country music community for decades until his death in February.

“Throughout his life and career, he made sure to work hard to have the best, to be the best. He often said, ‘They may write better than me, they may sing better than me, and they may look better than me, but they will NEVER outwork me.’ And that made all the difference,” Krystal said shortly after her father’s passing. “He was a larger-than-life legend, he was an icon, he did things his own way, his songs inspired nearly everyone in country music and beyond.”

Movieguide® previously reported:

Krystal Keith, daughter of country superstar Toby Keith, reflected on her late father’s love for his family, faith and country while accepting a degree from the University of Oklahoma on his behalf.

Keith passed away from stomach cancer in February.

“When he learned last fall that he was being inducted to Sooner Nation on this high of a level, he was so excited, and he was so proud,” Krystal said at the acceptance ceremony. “I actually made a joke about how many hours I spent here getting my bachelor’s degree, and he joked that he didn’t have to work that hard to get his. But we all know he earned it and spent many more hours dedicating his life to earning it this way. He loved his family (he loved all of us), God, our country, and Sooner Nation.”

PEOPLE reported, “Toby was a big fan of the Oklahoma Sooners football team, and his daughters Krystal, and Shelley, 44, and son Stelen Covel, 27, are all OU alumni.”