Such a bummer. Toby was one of the better country artists out there. RIP

F.U.T.K.

WTF

Well. Listening to "Life was play and the world a stage" off Boomtown.

R.I.P. Toby Keith.

"Courtesy Of..." is a complicated song. It's certainly an artifact from an era where an almost mindless form of American jingoism was the norm in country music, and set the stage for what was to come. He also made it a personality trait as his career progressed. That said, Toby had a litany of great songs, many of which were jovial and hilarious ("How Do You Like Me Now", "As Good As I Once Was", etc) and some of his serious stuff ("My List", "You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This", "Love Me If You Can") is sweet, nostalgic, and hits in all the right places.

It's also worth noting he was by all accounts a good dude who genuinely loved his family and country, took real pride in supporting the armed forces, and was not at all extreme w/ his political positions; he said in 2008 that you couldn't go wrong either way with Obama or McCain.

As a kid, TK's music was a fixture in the car, whether it was my dad, grandparents or uncle driving. So i definitely grew up around his music and the news of his passing hit me a bit harder than I expected. RIP.

compared to his peers he had some nice songs. I Love This Bar would be my favorite, reminds me of being in the truck with my dad growing up

So young.. Dont know his music, but i will listen in his honor. RIP.

Yeah, 62 is early.
Diagnosed in 2021.

He ain’t as good as he once was

Damn, this one hits hard... Grew up listening to him all the time. Rest in peace, Mr. Keith.

^ same. Brutal. Sad stuff

Damn it wildcard beat me to it

I Love This Bar is a classic. Hard RIP

fuckin cancer

Even if he was a bootlicker turd, the photos of him the last few years are devastating… he lost so much weight but also his TEETH were just destroyed. I think it was probably time for him to go…

wow the guy just died and you still gotta throw shade

yeah and we should all do the same when Jason Aldean dies

"Even if he was a bootlicker turd"

Wait a sec I'm not on reddit

Idk who obtains it, cancer is fucking putrid and I await the day we can actually have a sweeping cure against it. This is terrible that this happened to him. Tbh I have similar feelings a lot do towards his music here-don't much enjoy it but by god was he a fixture and a half in my dad's house, so evidently he was important to someone. RIP.

Had no idea dude had health issues, that really came out of nowhere for me. He was one of the “county fair” old reliables around my corner of Michigan. Never cared for his brand of country but regardless, 62 is terribly young. Big RIP

RIP bozo

You'd be surprised Emim.

damn rip to a real one

“RIP bozo”
[2]

Surprised to see this many people liked this asshole. The shit he pulled could’ve gotten the Dixie chicks killed. Like how is he any different than someone douchebag like Kid Rock?

"Like how is he any different than someone douchebag like Kid Rock?"

he made pretty good music

So many good tunes. RIP to an absolute legend

cancer is fucking awful. RIP

Thanks for the music, Toby, and thank you for your unwavering support of us and our families. Thanks for the war zone concerts. Rest well.

"Surprised to see this many people liked this asshole. The shit he pulled could’ve gotten the Dixie chicks killed. Like how is he any different than someone douchebag like Kid Rock."

Cry about it?

I can't deny the man was a big part in my childhood, he was absolutely massive in his time. Cancer is a shitty way to go but he made his peace with it and he'll be missed by many. RIP

thank you for your service MetalMarcJK

bad day for americans who like jingoist shit.

For sure

RIP bozo [3]

Also surprised to see an overwhelming show of positive sentiment for this guy. Always seemed like a (as was mentioned) crazy jingoist. Whatever

Hmm

country man liking his country is... le bad

anyway RIP person who makes music i've likely heard at some point but never attributed to a name because all this shit sounds identical

He's applauding the deaths of Iraqi civilians in heaven now.

Lmao people love telling on themselves.

RIP bozo [4]

Fuck that guy.

This dude said he “admired Sarah Palin” and was a supporter of Bill Clinton, Bush Jr., Obama, and Trump (so he’s essentially a centrist who’ll support whoever is winning?) His music is pretty bad and indicative of country music’s fall from grace, a lot of it is thoughtless blind patriotism. To the point of preforming for Iraq war troops frequently. I guess that explains his views. So uh RIP, but also he’s kinda a sucky person with a bad legacy. Don’t even get me started on how he treated The Dixie Chicks when they dared to criticize Bush Jr.


As much as I wanna “respect the dead”, what exactly is there for me to respect here?

How much of a child do you have to be to say "RIP bozo" and think you're being funny? About as much of one as someone who'd applaud the deaths of Iraqi civilians?

"Surprised to see this many people liked this asshole. The shit he pulled could’ve gotten the Dixie chicks killed. Like how is he any different than someone douchebag like Kid Rock?"
most Portland comment ever lmao

I’d say Toby is worse because people actually took him seriously

Kid Rock’s own audience of conservatives don’t even respect him, while Toby Keith is a key part of the patriotic propaganda machine of modern commercial country (see Jason Aldean)

"excuse me, everyone? EXCUSE ME! I'm speaking and I need your undivided attention. I'd like to announce that Toby Keith just died and I'm VERY, VERY happy about it. Now if you'll excuse me. There's something somewhere I need to be upset about."

Tbh I’m mostly neutral about this maybe slightly leaning negative, you’re the one who sounds upset lol

Big surprise that liberal city Sputnik has to shit talk anyone that isn't super left. How about just comment on the music and not making every single thing political. Ya'll have nothing to say about politics when a liberal dies.

cry me a fucking river

I live in Okahoma City where this guy has multiple resturants named in his honor. They're like big Buffalo Wild Wings type places. He's a legend. Hard RIP

sounds like life put a boot in his ass

probably pretty bad to throw up doctored pictures of the dixie chicks lady with saddam hussein to people who are incredibly rabid jingoists post 9/11 and during the early iraq war. you can absolutely spark a psycho to go and try to kill someone doing that shit, at minimum we know they got death threats and shit. pretty nasty thing to do.

finally some sane people

who are these people? lol

RIP bozo [5]

"Ya'll have nothing to say about politics when a liberal dies."
Some of us do. Because US "liberals" are just conservatives in any other country.

[2]

I didn’t really wanna get into it but yeah spot on

It is ok to not celebrate the accomplishments of a man who championed xenophobic and problematically nationalist viewpoints in his music. A lot of my folks listened to his stuff growing up too, but that doesn’t mean I can’t separate the nostalgia from the fact the man literally cashed in on post-9/11 hyper nationalism

Lol I never knew Toby had such a wild spiral of drama surrounding him, that's actually p fucking terrible albeit at least he decided to put a full stop once he came down to realizing how fucked and petty it actually was. Sad that Americans were actually so wildly dense and indoctrinated that they thought the Iraqi war was a fucking good thing. My old boss is the most hardline rightwing neonazi i've met and even he was able to recognize that Bush was a dumb shit invading Iraq.
Idk, the world won't be any worse off with his passing but i've seen a lot of people pass from cancer at the end stages are always more cruel than I could wish even to a POS like Toby

RIP bozo [6]

I was never a fan of Toby Keith. I hate modern country. And I'm definitely no conservative. But bringing politics into an RIP thread is just gross. It serves no purpose other than virtue-signaling. If you've got nothing nice to say about the guy, then just don't comment.

Yea guys, stop being meanies and bringing politics into this!
Now shut up and let me listen to “Courtesy of the Red White and Blue” and some of my other favorite nationalist hits!

Show me on this doll where Toby Keith hurt you

iraq

oh, was Toby Keith a soldier in the Iraq war? wasn't aware of that

"But bringing politics into an RIP thread is just gross."
have you ever been on this site or maybe the internet before? talk about virtue signaling

just because it happens a lot doesn't mean it's not gross

RIP

Way to live down to expectations everybody

I try my best

fake issues for fake people

quit trying to make someone else's struggle your own just cause you don't have any

appreciate the amenities and peacetime you've been given and stop letting everyone tell you to be upset

Lol this thread

I'll make sure to not speak ill of Adolf Hitler for u guys since he is dead

Adolf Hitler is clearly a bit worse than a country singer who said some dumb things. He also didn’t just recently pass away

frozen that is profoundly fucking stupid

Like my chicken fried?

Cold beer on a Friday night?

ugh

a pair of jeans that fit just right?

You’re right, Wildcard, Frozen’s comment was profound

And great argument, Ford

Not even sure wtf firebug is talking about. Not the first time that's happened

Yall acting like we booked tickets to tk's funeral to wave hate signs and shit. Westboro Baptist church got nothing on us

I dont think his family and friends are going to comb the depths of the internet and settle on a news article on sputnikmusic.com to find profound thoughts and wishes for their grieving

Also I've never been sure why death is supposed to only trigger respect and sorrow. The fact that someone has died does not change how they lived their life.

“The fact that someone has died does not change how they lived their life”

I guess this is where we disagree. I appreciate you bringing something of substance to the conversation, Ford, thanks.

And when I say I disagree, I don’t mean that the fact that they died excuses the things they did wrong. I just mean, I think there should be at least a period of solemnity/respect for the fact that they died before we start dissecting all their previous actions. Especially in this case, when the actual detriment of their actions, beyond a PR perspective, is questionable at best.

Nah, if you talked a lot of shit during life expect the people you pissed off to laugh when you die.

I’m not gonna have a period of “solemn respect” for those that I hate. I made jokes when Rush Limbaugh died, I made jokes when this asshole died, and I’m gonna make jokes when the next asshole dies. Like, if George Bush or like Ben Shapiro died tomorrow you’d expect me not to laugh?

You’re making it out to be more complicated than it is.

In fact, I’d say the real virtue signaling is shaming other people for making jokes on the internet. Like evil said, it’s not like I set up shop outside of the Keith estate and started hurling insults at his loved ones.

so is he racist or something

well he’s not anything now, hes fucking dead

he got mega popular after 9/11 doing big boy patriotism songs, you can pretty much just extrapolate from there

You don't show respect for the dead that you hate, you show respect for their close ones.

You don't want to hear people rejoice at the death of your father or mother for political opinions and you should be spared this.

Your point shows the strong limitation of your position. You'd laugh if Ben Shapiro died ? What did he do to you ? He's arrogant and annoying and you disagree with his views ? Grow up.
I can totally understand expressing your relief at the death of a serious monster, criminal or someone who hurt you personally etc...

A country music singer ? Get a life.

What a cringey shitshow this thread is lmao.

Well, the second comment was "F.U.T.K." and it wasn't deleted by the moderhaters so, it's the fault of the site.

It's a news article on fucking sputnikmusic.com

Get a life [2]

never been much into country sounds like this is the place to start

@kevin

It’s not just someone that I disagree with chief. I disagree with Hawks when I say that black metal isn’t the greatest thing ever. That’s a “disagreement”.

These are people that have contributed to conservative brain rot in this country. Now we have shitheads burning books and threatening trans kids among a lot of other heinous shit.

Are these two specific individuals completely responsible for that? Of course not, but they helped us get to where we are in their own way.

So yes. Fuck em.

@evil
Literally what I was thinking lol. You’re here too Kevin, get a life [3]

@evilford. Ah ah ah. I get your point, you're a decent person with principles but only in spaces you never visit.

So because someone is a conserative they're a Nazi??? This is the problem with our country lmao. Good lord you people really do need to get lives. And because someone believes there are only 2 genders (myself included) that means they're ALL threatening trans people??? Dumbest thing I've ever heard. I like all people gay, trans or anything else and I believe they have the right to be happy. Doesn't mean we have to agree on it. If that makes me an asshole then idk what to say.

ah ah ah being purposefully obtuse as a retort

I wasn’t calling you out dude that was just an example.

and there’s a large difference between “thinking there’s two genders” and calling all trans and gay people groomers and threatening their rights.

And I never mentioned nazis lol, but hey if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…

He contributed and you could say he even spearheaded a wave of post-9/11 xenophobia driven primarily by (as was mentioned) big boy patriotism songs. The hive mind of 90s-current day popular country music was an absolute driving force in support for US wars around the globe that profited off of the systematic killing of black and brown people by state-sponsored assassins to this very day.

Am I cracking jokes? No. Is the world a better place without 1 more xenophobic jingoistic amerikkkan death March drummer boy? Absolutely.

fuckin a evil

Not surprised this thread is going to complete shit, lol

That's my piece dont @ me

Ok, I hadn't realized I was going against narcissist distress and desperate need to feel important.
Have a nice day guys.

ftr my small town had a local country radio station and we had to sing country shit like this during school assemblies in elementary school post-9/11, so i'm definitely allowed to talk shit about my regional culture lol.

Once again kevins comments making no fucking sense

and there’s a large difference between “thinking there’s two genders” and calling all trans and gay people groomers and threatening their rights.

Very apt

"How much of a child do you have to be to say "RIP bozo" and think you're being funny? About as much of one as someone who'd applaud the deaths of Iraqi civilians?"

There's nothing funny about saying RIP bozo. Those dead Iraqi civilians are saying it too, so RIP bozo [1,000,000,000+].

RIP bozo [∞]

I hope my death brings as many unhappy folks joy as Toby's did, rip to a legend and fellow sput-nazi!

Can you guys stop bringing politics into this I’m trying to listen to courtesy of the red white and blue

the way half of hawks comment is stuff only he has said so far LOL

Legit no one is saying Toby Keith is a nazi, so wtf is Hawks even talking about

Toby Keith is a right-leaning centrist who made shitty political propaganda music, and bullied a fellow country musician for making their own counter political stand

Like look at these lyrics and tell me politics shouldn’t be brought up when discussing Toby Keith: https://genius.com/Toby-keith-the-taliban-song-lyrics

Like being political is half his damn career

It’s the same fucking idiots that want athletes to shut up about politics but stand and cry for the national anthem at every fucking game.

“Politics” is only bad when they have to think about something they don’t like. It’s fine when we’re killing brown people and singing about how free we are.

It's also the same people saying "keep politics out of entertainment". When in reality, they're actually saying "keep YOUR politics out of OUR entertainment". Funny how people who criticize the supposed "entitled" indivduals act just as entitled themselves

Complaining about woke politics in the Last of Us because the main character is gay but love games like Call of Duty, where we take direct orders from Reagan, try to kill Fidel Castro, and where Russia *totally* perpetrated the highway of death.

Not surprised this thread is going to complete shit [2]

The average IQ of the planet went up when this dude croaked. Rest in piss.

Very fun thread to read. Thanks, everyone.

Trophy Scars is a better country artist.

Astral Pariah best country album last 4 years.

"It's also the same people saying "keep politics out of entertainment". When in reality, they're actually saying "keep YOUR politics out of OUR entertainment". Funny how people who criticize the supposed "entitled" indivduals act just as entitled themselves"

I think there are some differences. When Trent Reznor got political everyone on the Right was all, "He needs to stop talking about politics and stick to making music."

When Ted Nugent gets political everyone on the Left is all, "Oh thank god he's talking about politics and not making music."

RED SOLO CUP

I LIFT YOU UP

The guy who wrote Red Solo Cup dies and it quickly leads to discussing the sociopolitical implications of assassinating Fidel Castro. Never change sput lmao

We don't even need to talk politics, "Red Solo Cup" is enough of a crime right off the jump.

i've seen you in blue
i've seen you in yellow
but only you red will do for this fellow

Appears that Sput has proceeded to party

This motherfucker with two first names tore the world a new asshole. RIP RED SOLO CUP

some truly auspicious first posts there

"When Ted Nugent gets political everyone on the Left is all, "Oh thank god he's talking about politics and not making music.""

Where are you getting that from? Most of the left-leaning people I know would prefer him sticking to music and staying as far away from politics as possible, lol

I haven't seen anyone say they think Nuge shouldn't talk about politics, at least not in the way Conservatives seem to think musicians, athletes etc don't have the right to talk politics (if they're left-leaning).

I have however seen plenty of people say Nuge should retire from music. xD

Love reddit

tony keith can suck my drift

Musical artist Avenged Sevenfold released the best country song of 2023 titled Cosmic.

True true cosmic is definitely a country song

Bri'ish prog icons Genesis released the best country song of 1983 titled That's All

"Am I cracking jokes? No. Is the world a better place without 1 more xenophobic jingoistic amerikkkan death March drummer boy? Absolutely."

The world is no better or worse off now than it was in the last years of his life when he was inactive or even several years before when he was still making music but no longer a consistent force on the country charts. Sure, the damage is done. You can definitely draw a straight line from "Courtesy of RWB" to "Try That In A Small Town." But TK's decidedly centrist politics seem pretty damn tame compared to the most extreme MAGA conservatism we see today.

"Courtesy" is also a product of its time, when America got swept up in patriotism as a trauma response to a terrorist attack. The same George W. Bush who left office with a sub 30% approval in 2009 had over NINETY percent approval after 9/11. If 9/11 doesn't happen, neither do all those jingoistic anthems that topped the country charts.

You can criticize people like TK who played at least some part in the decay of modern mainstream country music, but I don't think he was an awful person. Leave it to Sputnik to take what started as a decent thread and turn it to complete dogshit

Sputnikers are the left/liberal equivalent of the mouth breathing basement dwellers whose screennames are "Hitlercunnyrapist1488"

yeah idk if this is exactly the hill you wanna die on bro

[2]
I read all of that just for it to be excuses for why this guy sucked

It was pretty cool when Toby Keith told Kris Kristofferson not to speak against the war when they were playing a show together and Kristofferson got all up in his face yelling that he's killed men in the name of America and that Toby didn't know what the fuck he was talking about

Imagine attacking Joe Biden *from the right* about Palestine.

valid crit for TK. Not that he didn't do fuckall, because plenty of vets have come forward w/ appreciation for his donations, USO shows, etc, but he didn't actually wear the uniform so he never truly got what it meant. I can't imagine the PTSD etc that comes with being ordered to take another person's life

Obsess much?

You can criticize people like TK who played at least some part in the decay of modern mainstream country music, but I don't think he was an awful person.

history is full of decent guys who did an owo smol bean and fucked things up beyond repair. at some point there have to be some kind of consequence for your being a well-meaning dipshit.

"Imagine attacking Joe Biden *from the right* about Palestine".

when did support for indigenous Palestinians being slaughtered become right wing?

HOW GOOD IS MUSIC. RIP TOBY

^ spoken like the Wendy's facebook page

I do love ice-cream.

HELLO BELLOVD THIS IS WENDALL I ASKED AUNT KREMBLES FOR CHI1ILI AND VAMMILLA FROSTY AND SHE GOT ONE FOR YOU TWO GOBBLESS!!!111!!!

choclate choclate shit

only Wonka chocolate makes your eyes pop out their sockelets

not enough people mad at the president of brazil for what's happening at gaza actually.



probably toby keith's fault.

Guys, you don't have to cancel toby keith. He's already dead.

Im not canceling the man, canceling doesn’t exist.

I’m just reading his obituary.

caramel ice-cream or nothing.