Toby Keith Has Died – His Surprising Connection To Taylor Swift

February 6, 2024 1:58 pm Published by Carrie Buchanan

“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on Feb. 5 surrounded by his family, the statement read. “He fought his fight with grace and courage.”

“Please respect the privacy of his family at this time,” the message concluded.

I was shocked and saddened to hear the news of Toby Keith’s passing. As a fan of all music, country music included, I loved his music for so long. Whether it was a ballad or a rockin’ country hit, singing about red solo cups, or getting revenge of sorts on an ex relationship. His voice was loud in a good way. He was an incredibly talented and gifted songwriter above all else.

I had the chance to meet him when he came to Sarnia in 2007 for Sarnia Bayfest and he seemed down to earth and humble. He was larger than life that is for sure.

My heart goes out to his wife and his family. It’s never easy to lose someone you love, even if you’re expecting it to happen.

Something I didn’t realize was that Toby Keith helped to launch Taylor Swift’s career. Did you know that it was his record label she was signed to at the age of 15? In 2005, Toby Keith partnered with music executive Scott Borchetta to start his own label – Big Machine Records, the first record label to sign Taylor Swift.

The rest is, as they say and quite literally, history.