The Rise and Fall of Toby Keith’s Major Label, Show Dog Nashville
I’m sure you’ve seen the lists published by Forbes every year. They’re magnificent click bait. Who are the highest paid country music entertainers in a given calendar year? It makes for good theater as us proletariats gaze from afar at all the zeros and commas mainstream country music artist’s are able to compile behind their names in exorbitant figures for doing something most can only dream of.
And though we’re a good half decade from when Toby Keith was still relevant in the country mainstream, and a healthy 15 years removed from when he was telling would-be terrorists where he rudely wanted to ensconce his manly footwear, Toby Keith still has a reserved seat at the very top of these “highest paid” lists, despite not showing a Top 5 single since 2011.
How does Mr. Keith do it? It’s because every time Taylor Swift sells a record, Toby Keith gets a little portion of it. That’s right. Same goes for Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, and Rascal Flatts. In fact it’s true for all artists under the umbrella of Nashville’s gargantuan Big Machine Label Group, which also comprises the Dot, Valory, Republic Nashville, and NASH Icon imprints, and some 25 total artists.
How did Toby Keith pull this off, even though he’s not even signed to Big Machine? It’s because when Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta was forming the label in 2005, Toby Keith, who at the time had a license to print money from all his chart success via his sabre-rattling songs, wisely invested in a label that was initially supposed to be a joint partnership with Borchetta. However the partnership didn’t last long, and by 2006 Borchetta had spun off what became Big Machine, and Toby Keith became the owner of a label called Show Dog. Show Dog merged with Universal South in 2009, and became known as Show Dog-Universal.
At the time, it looked like Toby Keith was the king of the country music world. He could get a single to #1 just by releasing it. Keith put 20 #1 singles on the charts during an eight year run, and had another seven #2’s. Toby Keith was country music in the early 00’s. He started opening and franchising a line of restaurants called Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill. His name was like gold to his targeted demographic and could be seen everywhere, even if the industry itself, and most famously the CMA, distanced from him somewhat because of the polarizing nature of his personality and music. But it didn’t matter what the rest of Music Row thought of Toby Keith; he owned his own label and called his own shots.
But the fates of Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine, and Toby Keith’s Show Dog when they split couldn’t have been any different. Off the success of Taylor Swift, Scott Borchetta has built his own independent label empire that rivals or surpasses any of the major label groups located in Nashville today. Big Machine is arguably the biggest game in town, and Scott Borchetta has been able to retain his ownership where he still calls his own shots locally.
For Toby Keith’s Show Dog, now under the auspices of Universal, things have swerved in the opposite direction. On January 12th, it was announced that numerous Show Dog Nashville employees and executives from an already gutted label had been let go, including General Manager George Nunes, East Coast Promotion Director Jean Williams, Southeast Promotion Director Chris Waters, West Coast Promotion Director Dave Dame, and Promotion Coordinator Katie Kettelhut. It’s all part of a drastic restructuring of what is left of the label to focus more on expanding social and traditional media, and social media marketing they say.
As Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine has continued to expand since 2006, Show Dog Nashville has continued to contract. In November of 2014, Show Dog also went through a drastic restructuring to try and survive. It’s not that Show Dog hasn’t been able to wrangle talent for the roster. The issue has been keeping it around, and being successful with it. Trace Adkins, Randy Houser, Joe Nichols, Josh Thompson, and Phil Vasser are just some of the names that did stints on the label, only to move on shortly thereafter, many to another independent Nashville label that seems to be ever expanding successfully and adding new imprints like Big Machine—the Jason Aldean-anchored Broken Bow.
In fact all that’s left on the Show Dog Nashville roster at the moment is Toby Keith himself, and his daughter Krystal Keith, who recently had a child. A duo called Waterloo Revival—-a castoff from Big Machine—also still appears to be signed to the label. But aside from a few singles that couldn’t crack the Top 50, the duo doesn’t seem to be doing much these days.
So the story of Show Dog Nashville in early 2017 is pretty much the story of one artist: Toby Keith. And it appears that the tastemakers in Nashville have put Mr. Keith out to pasture. Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill’s are folding left and right, and in ugly stories of padlocked front doors, jilted employees, and unpaid vendors, sullying Toby Keith’s once solid gold name, even if he doesn’t retain any ownership in the franchises.
Toby Keith burned hot when he was at the top, but now it appears he’s burned out. Keith did keep his ownership stake in Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine when they split though, and that’s how so much money continues to get funneled to him, despite the drop in sales from singles, albums, and tours. Though Keith is still a performer, he’s also an owner and executive. It just appears he wasn’t a very good one.
January 17, 2017 @ 10:21 am
Toby’s playing at the Trump inauguration. Quick, put out a hit piece in hopes that main stream media will pick it up and cite my website.
January 17, 2017 @ 11:13 am
Show Dog announced a drastic reduction of staff and a restructuring last week. I felt it was important to put it into context. The only one interjecting a political component into this story is you.
If you will notice, I haven’t said a peep about Toby Keith, Lee Greenwood, and others playing the inauguration, even though I’m being goaded by readers to do so, on both sides, and it’s a hot topic that is sure to get a ton of clicks. But out of respect for everyone, I’m trying to keep this a political-free zone. The only time I broach politics is when people are unfairly interjecting politics into the musical space.
No political angle to this story should be inferred.
January 17, 2017 @ 1:38 pm
I’m not implying there is a political angle. I’m implying there is a self promoting angle…
January 17, 2017 @ 1:54 pm
Well if it makes you feel any better, barely anybody is reading this article, and it’s getting trounced by an article on Sturgill Simpson posted over 3 days ago.
I’ll let you know if any big sites link to it. So far it’s a big 0.
January 21, 2017 @ 9:17 am
News coinciding with news is the acceleration of communication. This is what all businesses, journalists, news outlets, tv, radio, record labels, music artists, etc, do. Talk about what’s relevant. Ride the wave.
I did not see this post as political, at all. I was actually curious what is going on with Toby Keith from a case study standpoint (though I don’t listen to his music), because there is conflicting info about how awesome he is doing. If you are enjoying reading Saving Country Music, don’t shoot the messenger, especially if he doesn’t interject any personal opinions into the piece. It’s a labor of love, support it. It’s free and one of the few decent places to learn about real country music. If I had to make one suggestion, it would be to NOT talk about the sh*theads who aren’t making real music. I hear more than I want to know about them already. 🙂
Cheers, people
January 18, 2017 @ 1:55 pm
No political angle should be inferred…c’mon, this whole piece is political. You are trying to say cause Toby is playing for TRUMP he is losing it all and that he is a nobody,na na na boo boo. You weren’t clever or smart enough just to to point at particular items. You dragged the piece out to infer that Toby is a schmuck and he is stupid blah blah blah. You asswipe. Go get your post on your head from your leftie friends do they can say. Who’s a good boy, fetch. You wear the letter L on your forehead well, it looks good on you.
January 18, 2017 @ 2:01 pm
You put TRUMP in all caps as if I mentioned him, or even inferred his involvement in any way in this article.
Last week Toby Keith’s Show Dog Nashville went through a major restructuring. Multiple country music outlets have covered it. Such restructurings are things that I cover here as a matter of course. I even covered the struggles of Show Dog two years ago, and nobody said a peep about a political angle. Here’s the article:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/tough-times-in-toby-keith-land/
“Go get your post on your head from your leftie friends do they can say.”
My “leftie” friends are too busy calling me a misogynist Trump voter for being a country music fan.
All due respect, but you have no idea what you’re taking about.
January 18, 2017 @ 2:55 pm
Also, for all you folks that think this is a political hit job on Toby Keith, perhaps go back and read where I actually defended Toby Keith over a quote attributed to Waylon Jennings, and also explained how he used to be a Democrat.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/the-waylon-jennings-quote-about-garth-brooks-real-or-fake/
If I have a political agenda against Toby Keith, I never write a story like that.
If you want to say that I don’t like Toby Keith’s music and so maybe that motivated me to write this article, I can understand that angle. You want to say it’s politically motivated, your flat out wrong, and irresponsibly so.
January 18, 2017 @ 4:30 pm
What “BEH” is saying, is that you are trying to capitalize on the fact that Toby Keith is going to be googled often for the next few days (due to his performance at Trump’s inauguration), and that you wrote this article at this time to try to get traffic to your site. Com’on bro, It’s stupid to try to lie your way out of it and say you just wrote this article because Show-Dog announced a restructuring last week. This site has been suffering hard lately due to your lack of good material, mostly failing to review new mainstream singles and new mainstream albums. I’ve been on this site for like 3 years now, I’ve watched it go down hill and everyone else has to. Hope you get this site back to what it once was, I have enjoyed it. Good job on putting this up as Toby is going to be getting attention, I applaud you for that…
January 17, 2017 @ 1:02 pm
Did we just read the same article?
January 17, 2017 @ 2:06 pm
Do you really think the mainstream media cares about Toby Keith anymore, much less his record label? Come on, stop looking for reasons to be offended. As far as the mainstream media is concerned, Toby Keith is still the “put a boot in your a**” guy. I seriously doubt anyone at the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, etc. care about Toby Keith playing the inauguration. In fact, it would only be news to them is Toby Keith turned down playing the inauguration.
As far as the “self-promotion” charge, to me citing that as a negative is also a joke. Do you get similarly upset when a tech website releases an article saying how much they love/hate the new iPhone right before or after its release to the general public? Do you get upset when sports websites release articles regarding the signing of a new player or analysis about something in the players past? This website is a lot of things, including an occasional news outlet.
January 17, 2017 @ 2:16 pm
I appreciate BEH’s concern, and I understand where his perspective is coming from because everyone is trying to find the big political angle right now to launch a viral story. But part of this is part and parcel with getting pissed off that Sturgill Simpson is popular now. I guess I’m just supposed to sit here and write articles that nobody wants to read, nobody links to, and don’t resonate, and instead only write about underground artists that are not very good just because there’s a lot of soul in that. The simple fact is sites like SCM don’t exist anymore because they’re an insolvent business model. I’m just happy to still be keeping the lights on, and screw me if upon occasion, people actually want to read my stuff and share it.
January 17, 2017 @ 2:23 pm
I, for one, continue to read pretty much all your stuff. I check in several times a day to see if new stuff is up. Keep up the fine work.
January 17, 2017 @ 2:52 pm
Mike W. Who said I’m offended or upset? I was merely jabbing Trigger for putting up a negative Toby article right before the inauguration. Toby does appear to be the biggest name on the bill and just as you pointed out, most of the big media probably doesn’t know much about him. I would assume they will be googling info on him and bingo, here’s a fresh article for them to quote. That’s all. I would do the same thing.
January 17, 2017 @ 8:40 pm
Hey BEH, Not to steal anyone’s thunder but here is an article I wrote with some of my insight. I would love to know what you think. http://www.libertymanifesto.org/2017/01/13/make-country-music-great-again/
January 18, 2017 @ 2:43 pm
I’m sure Trump’s knowledge of country music is very deep. Much deeper than Obama’s, I’m sure.
As someone who has lived in the DC area for over a quarter century, I’d say country music is doing just fine in the nation’s capital. Both mainstream and independent.
January 17, 2017 @ 10:53 am
Not many can stay as relevant as Toby has for as long as he did. There are some, of course. But I liked him up until the last few years, anything after Clancys tavern I haven’t much cared for. But he had a good run, nothing to be ashamed of. I don’t really get why it seems people have turned against him.
January 17, 2017 @ 8:45 pm
Good points. I think that the aversion to Keith has always been there, it was just harder to see when he was at the top of his game. These days the only time he’s ever in the news is when somebody is referencing him on the basis of being an “ignorant conservative” or prime example of everything that makes country music “horrible.” Even if it was far from any sort of nuance, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” struck a nerve because it displayed a very real and understandable anger in the wake of 9/11. Whether you agree with his politics or his infamous “boot in your ass” line, surely anyone that was alive when the actual attack occurred can understand where that song came from. For the other end of the spectrum, see Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).”
January 17, 2017 @ 11:10 am
How do you like me now?!
January 17, 2017 @ 11:15 am
He flamed out at some point over the course of the last few years.
I have to admit liking some of his earlier music.
Not any more, though.
January 18, 2017 @ 12:00 pm
I don’t think TOBY flamed out so much as RADIO flamed out , Chris . I mean , did George Strait , Josh Turner , Alan Jackson , Lee Ann Womack , Kacey Musgraves and Joe Nichols flame out ? To my knowledge all of these folks are still recording and touring with NO support whatsoever from radio . And many of them are doing better, in terms of income and fan support at shows , than many of the new ” radio” acts.
January 18, 2017 @ 4:34 pm
Radio put ol’ Joe out to the pasture after “Yeah!” hit #1. Hard To Be Cool SHOULD have easily made the top 10, but it fizzled out at #22….ever since then it’s been wrap city for ol’ Joe….”Freaks Like Me” sucked and only got to #50, and “Undone” took many months just to get a decent amount of adds at radio and its been doing no better than “Freaks Like Me”. Just another REAL country artist with serious talent being cockblocked by “country” radio.
January 18, 2017 @ 6:52 pm
Watching Joe Nichols give in to some of that crap he recorded to get airplay was a tough pill to swallow …especially because even Joe was somewhat ‘ apologetic’ about recording that stuff. He is easily one of the best country vocalists of these times- one of the BEST when it comes to delivering a lyric when the lyric is worth delivering . You just need to listen to his earlier stuff to realize that . One of the BEST ! He KNOWS a great song and delivers it with conviction and the industry ( labels , radio ) would not support him as as ARTIST ..demanding that he give them something radio-friendly . Bullshit ! The ostracizing of Joe Nichol is absolutely fucking criminal.
November 4, 2020 @ 6:33 pm
I’ve known toby Keith for a long time ever Since he was with Toby Keith and the easy money band and you are right he didn’t fizzle out Country music did it . It changed It’s Path to easy rock ,pop and light rap and you’re right about Bands not needing radio Just look at Hank the third PS if you never heard Hank 3 sing trash Ville it’s a must listen to by the way hank third concerts usually sell out
January 17, 2017 @ 11:53 am
The T K BAR & GRILL in Las Vegas is still going strong. I was in there just last week during the CES convention. There was a great local band on stage playing. Tony Marques Band. I was impressed. Perhaps Toby should look into nurturing the talent at his name sake venues.
January 17, 2017 @ 12:08 pm
You seem to push this idea that Toby Keith is underperforming.
When Toby Keith came up in the ’90s, he was in a mix of second- or maybe third-tier artists with Joe Diffie, Mark Chesnutt, Tracy Lawrence, Sammy Kershaw–a grade two below Garth and George and Clint and Tritt and Vince and B&D.
The way I see it, Keith has way overperformed. He had a pretty long rung with a bunch of #1 hits, made a ton of money, and he made himself into a personality who’s part of American pop culture.
Last time out, Keith had a #1 album and you wrote that well, it was a poor-selling #1. Hey, it still went #1. NOBODY from Keith’s era–except for McGraw and Chesney–is still getting their new material played. Toby is fading? Tell that to Clint Black and Travis Tritt!
January 17, 2017 @ 12:49 pm
Yep, I think this is probably the same type of thing that has happened to numerous huge stars over the decades where when they were flying high at the top they employed lots of people and were diversified business wise with all kinds of things and then as the years pile on and the tastes change slowly the belt is tightened and tightened and eventually if you want to continue performing you are playing in some tribal casino.
The obvious difference for Keith’s pocketbook is the shrewd Big Machine move which has put millions in his bank account. It reminds me of the story of the owner the St Louis team in the old ABA that agreed to fold his team when the ABA and NBA merged in the mid 1970s in exchange for an annual financial payout that turned out to be a huge amount of money that was just concluded a couple of years ago.
Smart business or lucky beyond belief? Sometimes the line is hard to see.
January 17, 2017 @ 1:26 pm
The title of this article is not “The Rise and Fall of Toby Keith.”
The title of this article is “The Rise and Fall of Toby Keith’s Show Dog Nashville.”
I think it makes a very interesting case study how Toby Keith and Scott Borchetta started as partners, split shortly thereafter, were on an equal playing field, and now Borchetta has a huge label group with five imprints, and Toby Keith’s label ostensibly has one artist left: Toby Keith.
This isn’t a commentary on Toby Keith’s music, his politics, or anything else, except that the fall of the label did parallel a fall in popularity for Keith’s music. I think it’s an important and interesting story about the country music industry, and so I wanted to highlight it.
January 17, 2017 @ 1:38 pm
I guess I would argue that there are very few performers that have successfully formed labels that have lasted beyond their own musical careers so this isn’t that surprising in the grand scheme of things. In order to last he would have needed to either be an extremely savvy businessman or surround himself with savvy people or some combination of the two and Borchetta fit the bill perfectly and he stuck with him from the business end but not the talent end of the label business.
There may be others but Herb Alpert who was the ‘A’ of A & M Records which had an incredibly successful run is the only performer that has transitioned to label guy with long term success. Tough business.
January 17, 2017 @ 5:43 pm
Yes, A&M is the big example of a label started by an artist/act, Herb Alpert, that became such an imprint on American music, the ‘M” being his good friend Jerry Moss. That label took chances with a couple of C&W/rock outfits at the end of the 1960s, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Dillard and Clark Expedition, and also broke British white soul belter Joe Cocker big here in America in 1969, as well as Alpert’s own albums, which sold in the tens of millions from the 1960s to the 1980s.
But yes, it’s one thing for artists to start and run their own labels, and quite another to run them successfully for a very long time, given that the big labels still control the lion’s share of the purse strings in the music business, regardless of genre. And if those artists try to become moguls, a la, say, David Geffen, they can run into a fair amount of traps, even if they themselves are blessed with business degrees and/or business acumen. This could very well be what is happening now to Toby Keith (IMHO).
January 18, 2017 @ 5:25 am
A&M was the national label that signed Waylon Jennings. A&M thought they had a folk artist in Waylon whereas they thought the Burritos were a rock band. Good on A&M for the signings. 🙂
January 17, 2017 @ 7:41 pm
Borchetta is a full-time professional business executive. Toby’s an artist—who’s continued to make albums and tour. Too me, the fascinating story is how much success Toby had with his own label for several years, putting out his own music on his own terms–Remember Clint Black and Equity Music?–rather than the fact that it’s run its course.
January 17, 2017 @ 12:35 pm
Doing what Toby Keith and so many other country music veterans have done for as long as they have takes a toll in a way most folks couldn’t understand and shouldn’t be expected to . Its sacrifice upon sacrifice , stress upon stress to keep that career momentum going and keep musicians , label-folk, road crews , agents and YOURSELF employed and supporting families . Certainly Toby Keith has done that far longer than most and there’s no question in my mind that he’s not finished as an artist .
At times, the commercial sound of the music ” evolves ” and as bro-country illustrated , its not necessarily for the best . And as with many great writers , performers often choose integrity over trend …and that either sells or it doesn’t . I know so many writers who would far rather do something entirely different to make a living now than write ‘down’ to Music Rows ‘ standards ‘ . Good writers don’t get into this to be average..to bang out ear candy for kids.. any more than the great entertainers do . They’re in it to inspire and be inspired and become better and more creative …to work with better and more creative people than themselves…not to be teamed up with wannabes who the label contracts to write their OWN material with the ‘ help of a pro ‘ . In a word , this is discouraging to many REAL writers and performers artists . It takes the inspirational wind out of your sails – your energy and the passion that initially motivated you . A drummer friend and his band recently recorded a CD for a pop label . The drummer never played a single note on his own band’s songs and CD . He was at the sessions only to advise programmers . Needless to say it was not only disheartening but disrespectful . And ultimately , the listener is the one short-changed by this lack of human input and creativity .
It would be my guess that not only is Toby probably physically exhausted by his 20 year commitment and personal sacrifices to the industry but maybe a bit burned out creatively . I’ll look forward to where the music takes him from here on in . On the plus side , he won’t have to worry about generating an income which takes HUGE pressure off of ANYONE ..particularly a musician .
June 20, 2017 @ 11:19 pm
I see some of you experts dont really understand how a song reaches #10 do you? Lol hang in there.
On another more nobody has mentioned that Toby also runs a hundred million dollar horse ranch and does USO tours plus in all fairness, DreamWorks folded when he left them ( as he was their cash cow) He brought Bruchetta along for the ride and you dont have to wonder who had the cash for the investment into two labels, so dog him out if you want but he has accomplished more than most and still has about 3/4 of a billion you do realize thats in the Paul Mcartney range of money? So, like him or not, he aint dumb.
January 17, 2017 @ 12:49 pm
I would hope he was just going away but I’m sure he’ll keep beating the drum for the ignorant trailer park/duck dynasty crowd.
January 17, 2017 @ 1:18 pm
When you get over your shock that an Oklahoma redneck like me can spell ambassador, go listen to “Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine on You,” “Who’s That Man?”, “Wish I Didn’t Know Now What I Didn’t Know Then,” “My List,” “She Never Cried in Front of Me,” need I go on? Not all of us who own a record by Toby Keith are ignorant. Some of us just have a taste for good music and can look past a person’s political views, which, based on this comment, is more than I can say for you.
January 17, 2017 @ 1:36 pm
I’m from Oklahoma, grew up on a trailer house, know pretty much his entire catalog, and might consider looking past his political views if he made some good music. At best it was Nashville pop radio schlock. At worst it was blatant ripoffs of guys like Robert Earl Keen. The guy was nothing but a 90’s radio hat act until he hit it big being a voice for less than articulate after 9/11. Lets pretend like his celebrity now isn’t as much about his politics as his music.
January 17, 2017 @ 9:47 pm
You act as if being a radio act, especially then, is a bad thing. Success is what every artist wants.
January 18, 2017 @ 2:34 pm
I rarely comment on this site, but I read it twice a week. This guy’s comment is just too much.
“Nashville pop radio schlock.” That’s right…if it doesn’t sound like it was recorded on a plain tape recorder in a garage it is automatically “schlock.” I get so tired of this argument.
Songs like “Who’s That Man” and “Does That Blue Moon…” speak volumes to a LOT of people. Maybe that’s why Toby was so successful? His songs appeal to a lot of people because they say something and sound ear pleasing? But it is just “schlock.”
You really couldn’t be further from the truth on this: “The guy was nothing but a 90’s radio hat act until he hit it big being a voice for less than articulate after 9/11.”
Toby Keith’s career can really be divided up into two sections: 1993-1998 and 1999 to the present time.
The first part of his career contained what I call the “deeper” songs. “Who’s That Man,” “Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine On You,” “Me Too,” and such.
The second part is where the novelty songs were the big thing. “Red Solo Cup.” Need I say more?
It is true, the second part of his career his what made him a superstar. But, that started with the release of “How Do You Like Me Now?!” in 1999. THAT is when he became a major star. This was well prior to the release of “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.”
I am generalizing here. Toby had crossover of the more meaningful songs and novelty songs all through his career. And I am not knocking either one.
It just really pisses me off when people act like he only got really big because of the boot in your ass song. And frankly, when you look at the real meaning of why that song was written and what it truly means, if you still have a problem with it then that is YOUR problem. You miss the bigger picture. But I am not going to get into the political side.
Toby Keith’s “celebrity” has nothing to do with his politics. The media would like you to think that, and you obviously have bought into it.
June 20, 2017 @ 11:28 pm
Oh now I see, you have those Oklahoma trailer house blues cause Toby moved on up some notches that you cant reach and never will and it hurts so bad, cause it shoulda been you right? Tell is where to listen to that rate talent that you possess and we might forgive your insane jealousy.
January 17, 2017 @ 1:58 pm
He always came across as super arrogant to me. Even back in the early “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” days before the huge stardom.
January 17, 2017 @ 8:50 pm
I disagree. Toby Keith’s 90’s songs, like “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “Who’s That Man,” are among the best of that period. The 20th Century Masters collection is a fine example of Toby Keith at his finest. There are even several ballads, as was common at the time. I do not sense any amount of arrogance, much less “super arrogant.” But at some point in the early 00’s, Keith took a turn for the worse and (in my opinion) pioneered the formula for bro country, alongside Kenny Chesney’s turn toward vapid beach music. Without Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney from roughly 2003 onwards, bro country would have been impossible. Nonetheless, I can still love and appreciate Keith’s early work.
January 17, 2017 @ 2:14 pm
Toby’s career and record label declined because he tried to do too much and began mailing in his music in an effort to make money. Remember how proud he was 5 years ago when he said his goal was to write/record/release an album every year? Well, how many of those albums were any damn good? Dude had no checks and balances on himself and it showed. A lot of those albums were mediocre to bad, with a lot of filler that you could tell Keith and his writing buddies just went through the motions to write. Worst of all, he had no one that was able to tell him “hey TK, maybe these three albums with 2-3 decent songs on each, should just be released as one single album”. Toby stopped looking at his music as something he did for love and instead it became a cold, hard business where he had no incentive not to crank out music as fast as possible to sell to his fans before his star faded.
Plus, he burned so many bridges in Nashville that when his career headed south, no one was willing to give him another shot like they were with Tim McGraw.
January 18, 2017 @ 10:55 pm
Thank you I have been a TK fan for years and he still draws the people at his concerts ! He doesn’t give a good crap about what people think of him singing at the Political Party ! He is his own person and he isn’t a Trump man either ! I think Toby will wind down soon ; I know he said he wants to be involved with his expanding family ! He made his money and like everything else ; You cant be on top for ever. I love him his voice is fabulous and he still is loved by his fans ! If I want to hear true Country I’ll listen to the good old boys !
January 17, 2017 @ 3:55 pm
Attack Trump, now attack Toby who is a true American to people who really matter, the military and it’s. Veterans! All the rest of you are irrelevant!
January 17, 2017 @ 6:22 pm
I see you Twitter/Reddit trolls are still struggling with that whole concept of reading. I know this because this article in no way “attacked Trump”. Go back to sharing Pepe memes on 4chan.
January 18, 2017 @ 2:47 am
SCORE!
January 17, 2017 @ 6:57 pm
Do you SERIOUSLY think ALL Americans who aren’t active military or Veterans are ” irrelevant “?! (That’s what you wrote.) If that’s so, then for WHOM are they serving, fighting and dying??!?!?
January 17, 2017 @ 5:02 pm
He’s made some big money on his Toby Keith Mezcal.
January 17, 2017 @ 7:35 pm
He has one too?! That’s got to becoming a crowed market. I saw George Strait is hawking one. Sammy Hagar has a successful line.
I did a quick google search and everyone has an alcohol brand now.
January 17, 2017 @ 6:44 pm
I came to appreciate country music by first hearing Toby Keith interviewed on “60 Minutes” in the early 2000’s. His patriotism, his sense of hard work & being a singer/songwriter/storyteller attracted me to his music. I appreciate his big ol’ charitable heart – whether performing for the troops or supporting the OK Korral for children with cancer. Toby has released some poorly written songs, but he has also put out good songs (ex., “Beautiful Stranger” a surprising ballad). What chaffs, though, is that he gets virtually NO airplay. We can request his music day in and day out. The radio program managers decide whose music gets played – over and over and over again. The DJs have no say and seemingly, no pull on behalf of the listeners. What a crappy system! So we will continue to support Toby’s efforts as he tours, writes and produces music, etc. No one outworks this man. Just ask TK Kimbrell.
January 18, 2017 @ 9:18 pm
“Should’ve Been A Cowboy” was by some measure, the most played song on radio in the ’90s, and Toby had some huge ones in the 2000s. Radio has treated him pretty well.
January 17, 2017 @ 7:14 pm
Music labels open and close all the time. He started Show Dog in 2005 after DreamWorks, a much larger mega label, folded. Like a lot of stars, he made some good business investments and some didn’t work out. He’s probably using Show Dog as a tax write-off. CD and download sales are increasingly a bad business model so you could argue Toby played his cards right. He went from working as a derrick hand to being a multi-millionaire with 20 number one hits and over 60 Billboard charting songs. Even if Show Dog folds or someone doesn’t like his music, one cannot deny his larger success.
January 17, 2017 @ 7:28 pm
I think it’s been over a decade since he was last relevant. I stopped going to his concerts in 05 when he added horns (hey! why were people not losing their minds in 05 when Keith added a horn section to his band?!), that 80’s rock lead guitarist, and was letting the backup singers sing. Starting in 05 was when his shows turned Vegas-y.
But, I did really like him up to that point. His rise from perennial opening act to stardom felt organic and his shows were a ton of fun. Remember the Bus Songs?
In reality, everyone runs his/her course.
January 17, 2017 @ 8:48 pm
TK had a lot of good songs early in his career, did a lot of shows for the Military and truly has one of the great voices in Country. Music. Also no scandals. As for doing some bad songs, it is hard to name any major act who hasn’t.
January 17, 2017 @ 9:12 pm
Someone needs to do more research before writing a title like this. RESTRUCTURE is not closing shop. His label has restructured before, it is called looking at ways to save money. Toby wanted his own label so he would never have to work for anyone else again. His business plan was always different than Borchetta. He knew Borchetta would succeed and he also believed in Taylor Swift before she really took off. It was genius that he kept a stake in that label and still makes money from his holding. His tours are still doing very well, he would not tour if he wasn’t making money doing it. Headlining festivals pays good dinero. The bars that have his name on them pay him , he does not have to operate them. The Vegas bar is over 10 years old and is going strong. There are 3 bars in OK plus one in Boston. He owns a horse farm. He races horse for fun and some of them make good money. His songs are still very relevant, his song catalogue and publishing rights, all of his ventures combined, truly remarkable.
January 17, 2017 @ 9:32 pm
The only person saying Toby Keith closed up shop is you. The Toby Keith “I Love This Bar” franchise is a dumpster fire, a few successful locations aside. Do more research.
January 18, 2017 @ 10:23 am
Well Trigger, your article is titled Rise and fall, there is no fall. Just changes being made. And if you consider successful long running bars a dumpster fire…..that is up to you. Fire as in thriving and alive is the reality.
January 18, 2017 @ 2:22 pm
Yo bro, closing locations abruptly with unpaid vendors, unpaid rent and unpaid back taxes is generously called a “dumpster fire”. Another term for it would be “pathetic” or “clown-like”.
January 18, 2017 @ 2:30 pm
Here’s a run down of the Toby Keith “I Love This Bar” franchise issues:
Ten locations of Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill have closed total, an each one under similarly abrupt circumstances.
” The Tucson, Arizona location closed on March 7th, 2014 after being evicted from their property for breach of contract.
” The Newport News, Virgina location closed on January 1st, 2015 after being evicted from the property and reportedly owing $554,000 in rent and fees.
” The Houston, TX location closed on January 3rd for unpaid rent, and reportedly owes nearly $150,000 in unpaid services.
” The Savannah, Georgia location scheduled to open in August of 2014 never did, and the franchise was served an eviction notice for the space in the Savannah Mall on April 7th, 2015.
” The Oxnard, California location closed on May 3rd, 2015 after being open less than a year, and owning $605,000 in back rent.
” The Syracuse, New York location closed abruptly on May 17th, 2015 reportedly because of unpaid rent.
” The Orange Beach, Alabama location was closed on June 3rd, 2015 after being evicted from the property.
” And the locations in Folsom, California (12-30-14), Woodbridge, Virginia (5-2-15), and St. Louis Park, Minnesota (6-24-15) have all closed as well.
January 18, 2017 @ 2:32 pm
Yo, I am not a Bro, the bars I mentioned are the ones still open and successful. The others were under a different operator that you are mentioning.
January 18, 2017 @ 7:13 pm
Our Trump-ed.
January 18, 2017 @ 7:01 pm
You finally used “dumpster fire”!
January 18, 2017 @ 7:12 pm
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania location (October 2015) After the space was built out, including Toby Keith’s trademark guitar, developsers were “spurned” and not paid by Toby Keith’s corporation. This thing was pretty much built before TK pulled out.
The good news is a local company (American Eagle) stepped in and are trying to run in as a country bar – Tequila Cowboy. I haven’t seen a show there yet, but went before a Steeler game,
June 20, 2017 @ 11:46 pm
Come on man you are starting to split hairs, even Jimmy Buffett sold some of his restaurant’s you really dont like Toby I see. Half of the people posting on here do not have a clue as to how and why records get played on the Billboard Charts. Can you really follow music for decades and never catch on?
January 18, 2017 @ 8:14 am
I’ve always thought Toby’s music was a little cheesy with the exception of a few good songs, and let’s be honest, his politics run more left than right. But I’ll give him credit for his giving of his time for the troops, and for willing to take the heat for not just playing Trump’s inauguration, but Obama’s and Bush’s as well. It seems he is playing not for political endorsement of a candidate, but because he truly wants to support America.
As for his record label, interesting story, even if the timing is a bit suspect.
January 18, 2017 @ 9:01 am
Fun fact related to Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grills: https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/12/31/the-bars-where-drivers-got-drunk-before-their-oui-arrests/6pJV2qmcYExUz4SLEdPjoI/story.html
January 18, 2017 @ 9:23 am
Kudos to Toby for making the business decision that’s putting money in his bank account without him having to do anything. So his label has flamed out…he’s laughing all the way to the bank. As a friend of ours told us, the best kind of job is the one you don’t have to go to but it still makes you money!
January 18, 2017 @ 9:48 am
Sorry Trig, on this one, I don’t think this article would’ve been written if he wasn’t playing the ceremony.
I don’t blame you for it, but not relevant to me or anything new here.
January 18, 2017 @ 11:03 am
What this means is that I cannot mention any artist that has any ties to the political season any more without people wild-eyed assuming there is a political agenda behind it.
And if you don’t think there’s anything new here, you didn’t read the story. I’ll expect you to question the credibility of Music Row, Country Aircheck, and the other outlets that also reported on the recent restructuring of Show Dog.
And yes, you are blaming me if you think I posted this to be parallel with Toby Keith’s inauguration performance.
January 18, 2017 @ 12:18 pm
I don’t think the article is political.
I understand taking advantage of the latest buzz..
To me this is all old news on Toby Kieth
January 18, 2017 @ 2:02 pm
But it’s not all old news. Music Row Magazine and All Access didn’t see it as old news. Because it’s not.
Understand I don’t see accusations like this as a disagreement. You are calling out my credibility for posting something in an underhanded manner.
January 18, 2017 @ 2:45 pm
Don’t listen to them, Trigger.
These people accusing you of trying to score a big story because of Keith playing the inauguration are dense.
I have read your articles for years. Never, EVER have I known you to do what they are accusing you of.
Keep writing, Trigger. You can’t make them all happy.
January 18, 2017 @ 2:58 pm
Thanks Tommy.
January 18, 2017 @ 8:56 pm
I second Tommy. I scrolled ALL the way down to see that he basically took the words from my mouth.
January 18, 2017 @ 2:41 pm
Trigger, the bar franchises have different operators. Again. I was discussing the ones I mentioned that are still open and successful.
January 18, 2017 @ 3:52 pm
Kudos to you “manly footwear ” homage to Gary P. Nunn, who is certainly one of my favorite Texas music artists.
January 18, 2017 @ 8:33 pm
Show Dog Nashville has not been a straight up label but they had desent artists on that label. Toby Keith, Joe Nichols, and Trace Adkins did have some #1’s (toby and Joe) and top 10’s and top 20’s. Joe left and Trace left but the label went downhill fro there.
December 15, 2018 @ 11:30 am
Wow.. Whats a fair price for letting other potential producers as well as entertainers help in negotiating fair and somewhat common deals..
August 29, 2019 @ 8:56 am
i just found this website and read the article. I understand that I am more than 2 years past when it was released but I wanted to state my opinion anyway. I like Toby Keith’s music and I haven’t heard most of it. I also just found his daughter’s (Krystal Keith) music as well. She has an amazing voice but before she even started in the business for herself, Toby made her go to college to earn a degree as something to fall back on in case it didn’t work out in the music business. He was looking out for his family which is what comes across in his music. Toby Keith sings songs about real life and the working man and that is why he has the fans that he does. Alabama sang songs about real working people but they eventually stop performing as they got tired and their music wasn’t being played much on the radio anymore. Just like a lot of artists still making music in the industry today. Toby had a great run, maybe he will be able to come back and produce more hit singles and maybe his career is just about over. Who knows? He made his dream a reality and now he has every right to do as he pleases. That is my opinion.
June 4, 2023 @ 7:03 pm
TK’s White trash with money has got to be dope.
February 6, 2024 @ 6:02 pm
R.i.P. Toby