My relationship with Toby Keith

My heart broke hearing that Toby Keith died yesterday morning at age 62. Admittedly, I hadn’t thought about him in years. I didn’t know he’d been diagnosed two years ago with stomach cancer. I went on to read that he wrote a #1 song every year for 20 straight years. He was a prolific singer-songwriter and musician, a rare combo, much like Taylor Swift. He couldn’t help but write songs, about life, and love, and the world as he saw it. Like most celebrities, he was controversial. Some say he drank too much. Some say he was an asshole. Who am I to judge? We all have vices. Most artists are tortured souls. Hell, most people are, too. Initially, I wanted to do something silly as a tribute. Like maybe make a TikTok of me singing one of his songs. I know he’d approve because he loved being silly and outrageous and original. But as I played his songs again over the past 24 hours, my broken heart felt simultaneous lightness and longing, typical of nostalgia. <a href="https://tracey-89415.medium.com/my-relationship-with-toby-keith-89be2cacfc10">Website</a>