Speaking with … Toby Keith

By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
August 16, 2002

Toby Keith isn’t the “angry American” anymore.His latest album, “Unleashed,” debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts. First-week sales of approximately 338,000 units are nearly three times the first-week sales of his previous album, last year’s “Pull My Chain.”

“I certainly wasn’t expecting this,” says Keith, phoning from Indianapolis. “It’s quite an accomplishment to be No. 1 on the country charts. But to be No. 1 on the pop charts is tremendous. It’s gratifying that I’ve reached that many American people. And it’s vindicating to my critics that the public does want to hear my songs.”

Keith is referring to his single, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” a song he wrote in reaction to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It’s also a tribute to his late father, who served in the Army.

Apparently, Peter Jennings objected to some of the lyrics (“You’ll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A./’Cause we’ll put a boot in your ass/It’s the American way”) and Keith was nixed from an Independence Day special hosted by the ABC anchorman.

“I wouldn’t have included the song on the album if the military had objected to it,” says Keith, who will perform Saturday at the Allstate Arena. “Our own soldiers say they sometimes feel like we’re not behind them. I wanted them to know that we were. The song is my statement to give support to them, and they always react positively when I play it at shows for them. That’s the only critical review that I need.”

HERE’S WHAT ELSE KEITH HAD TO SAY:

Last good movie I saw: “Training Day.” Denzel Washington was very good in it.

Favorite Chicago sports team: The Cubs. I’m a Dodgers fan, but if you’re in Chicago, you have to support the Cubs.

Favorite Chicago institution: There are so many great places in the city, but Wrigley Field is beautiful. If you want to see a baseball game, there’s no better place in the world. Wrigley Field is baseball.

Favorite Chicago food: I love the Italian beef with the French dip. I always get that. And there’s this little Mexican restaurant near Wrigley Field. I’ll always grab a taco there before I hit a Cubs game.

Your theory about playing all your hits in concert: I don’t think people want to pay to hear just your new songs, so I like to hit all the high spots and include a few [new] things. It annoys me when I go to a concert and an artist won’t play their hits. I just feel grateful to have enough hits to play for them.

Acting debut: I’ve got some offers to act, but that’d be a whole other mountain to climb. Right now my music career’s going the way that I want it to. But I’m in touch weekly with two of Hollywood’s biggest [television] producers. If the timing can work out, who knows?

Most patriotic moment: I was just very proud of the passengers [of the Sept. 11 plane that crashed in Pennsylvania] who took control of the situation and did something about it. None of them were trained to fight. They’re all heroes.

Tell us something we don’t know about you: I like simple food. I can’t even order wine.

Ideal leading lady: It would be someone who could get along with me for the life of the project.

Best thing about playing to Chicago audiences: They know all the words to my songs.

The last word on Chicago: I love Chicago. If I’m playing the Midwest and have a day off, I always say let me have my day off in Chicago.