Toby Keith might have been a country music sensation, but his daughter, Krystal Keith, often described him as just a plumber when her friends asked about her dad.
For Krystal, life in the Keith household felt quite ordinary, despite her father’s rapid rise to fame with his 1993 hit, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.”
When outsiders probed into her family’s life, Krystal would often downplay her father’s celebrity status, saying he worked a regular 9-to-5 job.
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“I used to think every kid’s dad had a job like mine,” Krystal told Fox News Digital. “He might as well have been a plumber, and that’s actually what I told people he did. When folks later discovered who he really was and asked me questions I knew they already had answers to, I’d just say, ‘He’s a plumber.’”
“And then they’d ask, ‘What’s his name?’ And I’d always say ‘Mark,’” she added.
Krystal had a fallback story with a familiar name to keep the ruse convincing if her friends weren’t buying it.
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Krystal Keith fondly recalls her playful tactic of telling people her dad was Garth Brooks, rather than the country music legend Toby Keith. “I liked to say Garth Brooks because people already knew he was a singer,” she explained. “They were expecting Toby Keith, and I’d throw them off by saying, ‘My dad’s Garth Brooks!’ I never wanted to give them what they anticipated.”
Even though Toby Keith’s career skyrocketed with his debut single, Krystal’s childhood remained grounded. “Our day-to-day life didn’t change much despite his fame,” she shared. “We had a more comfortable lifestyle, but it didn’t feel drastically different. My mom wasn’t worried about paying the light bill anymore. We always had what we needed.”
Krystal noted that while their material circumstances improved, their family dynamic remained unchanged. “We had a gradual shift in lifestyle,” she said. “We could travel and attend my dad’s shows more easily. The real change was how people around us and their attitudes towards us evolved as his fame grew.”
“And that’s when I realized, as a kid, that this wasn’t typical; he wasn’t just any dad.”
As Krystal carved her own niche in the music world, her father imparted his wisdom in his unmistakable “Toby Keith” style.
“He never dictated what I should or shouldn’t do. Instead, he said, ‘You’re free to pursue whatever you want, but here’s my perspective—you can take it or leave it,’” Krystal recalled. “He truly allowed me to forge my own path. He seldom offered ideas or directions; he let me come up with my own concepts and guide my own way.”
“When I hit a roadblock or needed some guidance, I’d go to him and ask, ‘What do you think of this song?’ And that’s when he’d offer his advice.”
On Wednesday, Krystal took the stage with a lineup of renowned artists for the television special “Toby Keith: American Idol,” honoring the late country legend who passed away on February 5 after a long battle with cancer. The tribute featured Carrie Underwood, the new host of “American Idol,” performing Keith’s hit “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action,” while Lainey Wilson delivered a memorable rendition of “Beer For My Horses,” arriving at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on horseback.
Toby Keith’s commitment to community service was evident through his support of pediatric cancer research and the Toby Keith Foundation. The special event aimed to benefit the OK Kids Korral, a facility providing free lodging for children and their families undergoing cancer treatment. “We inherited a legacy that’s unmatched,” Krystal shared. “He left behind a remarkable legacy, and as a family, we’ve embraced the responsibility of continuing his mission. He was deeply concerned about who would uphold this cause if he didn’t survive.”
She added, “The OK Kids Korral is a vital resource for our community. It supports children from all over the country who come for treatment. It holds immense significance for our family and the countless families it serves.”
