Jewells of Thought

Not two weeks ago I saw on my you-tube feed something about Toby Keith’s cancer diagnosis in an interview. I had to keep looking at the photo of him I couldn’t see him… it took a good while and actually watching the video to see it was in fact him. Although it was very seriously a shell of himself.

No longer was he that big guy I remember, the confident and enterprising singer that evoked American boldness and somewhat bad boy at times. I loved his songs “How Do You Like Me Now?” and “I Wanna Talk About Me.” Songs that will live on because of his imprint on them.

Honestly I can’t remember being so emotional about a celebrity death like this. I have been tearing up reading stories from the Federalist and one from the Gateway Pundit. He made a difference, his music was there for Americans when the tragedy of 9/11 extended to our men and women being overseas on a battlefield.

His Patriotic Anthems began with “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue in 2002, my junior year of high school. “American Soldier” came out graduation year this song is one of those that tears at my heart-strings. “Made in America” these songs are iconic and woven into my generation as we each remember 9/11 these songs stirred our souls. It’s difficult to not be as passionate as he was listening that distinctive beautiful American voice speaking on behalf of the troops, Veterans and of the common American Patriot.

This man didn’t just say the words I support our troops. He put actions into those words. The amazing USO Tours he participated in there were so many of them. I feel so emotional about this today as a historian, musician and as an American woman his music and his staunch advocacy for our troops and their family’s was not matched nearly as it should have been by other celebrities and musicians.

He also said he didn’t know how others could go through life without faith. That comment stuck with me he got that in his last interview. He relied on a higher power to get him through this cancer diagnosis.

Toby Keith was an American Legend.