"Young country" could learn from honky-tonker Toby Keith
Listen to country radio, or watch country-music videos on cable TV, and you'd think "young country" is the only thing going. But, as Billboard pointed out in its recent end-of-the-year issue, Toby Keith, 44, the roughneck honky-tonker who's been around nearly 15 years, dominated country in 2005.
He sold more albums and singles than any other country artist. He started his own record label, Show Dog; starred in his first feature film (working title: "Broken Bridges"); and started a chain of restaurants called I Love This Bar & Grill (named after one of his hit songs), opening in Las Vegas, Oklahoma City (near his ranch) and Kansas City. The Big Throwdown II tour, which plays the Tacoma Dome Saturday night, is selling out across the country. His latest album, "Honkytonk University," is No. 1 on the country chart.
We recently caught up with the busy Keith somewhere on the road.
Q: Gretchen Wilson and those skinny guys in jeans [Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw] seem to dominate country. But, according to Billboard, you beat all those "young country" stars in 2005.
A: How about that? Billboard has credibility with me. It's not a popularity contest among industry moguls, like some of them are; it's strictly who won the category. Billboard has its electronic fingerprint on every record sold and every airplay on their Billboard [monitored] stations, so it's like keeping score.
Q: Essentially it's about sales — fans voting with their money.
A: That's right. Our industry's biggest award show [the CMA Awards] is the one I've done the worst in. This is very ironic, but of the top six or seven artists in my genre right now, I'm the only one that doesn't get crossover airplay. I only get played on country radio, I do not get played on AC [adult contemporary], pop or rock.
You think of the other five or six people who are on top, and they all get across-the-board airplay. So they're reaching more people somehow but yet they're not out-selling me and they're not out-performing me and they're not out-ticketing me.
So, on the whole, I've done well in this century so far. My sales record stands alone. We had two back-to-back 4-million-selling albums, and we had two 3-million bookending that. I was number-one ticket-seller, number-one airplay. To dominate your industry, and win the Billboard, the AMAs, the People's Choice, the CMTs, the ACMs, Radio & Records — I'm leavin' some out — to win everything out there that you can win, and be the most nominated at the CMA but yet win zero? I mean, not even a bone once in a while. Zilch. Eight nominations and zilch, zilch, zilch. You're on top, but nobody realizes it.
Q: In this "young country" era, you remain connected to traditional country. Your duet with Willie Nelson, "Beer For My Horses," has been his biggest boost in decades.
A: I said, "I want Willie to sing on the second verse of that song," and everybody starts goin', "Whoa, Willie ain't been on the radio in 20 years." I go, "So what?" They say, "Radio ain't goin' to play that." So we put it out, and it was a huge number one. You can't listen to what others say, you just have to go with your heart.
Q: You seem to thumb your nose at young country on your new single, "As Good As I Once Was."
A: [chuckles] That's a big record, son. Bullseye Research — you know about them? — it's a big company that radio stations use to find out how hot a song is nationally. On Bullseye, that song was a landslide. We actually researched at number one for 12 weeks.
All the greats left behind — and this is one mark I'm going to leave behind — I wrote all my stuff. I wrote it all. I don't have to go to a publishing house and say, "What y'all got new for me to hear?" That's why I've opened my own record label [Show Dog Nashville], as a vehicle for all my creative ideas.
I've just finished a movie with Paramount Pictures, and the first thing I told 'em was, I want my Show Dog label to release the soundtrack. I'll be in your movie, let me do the soundtrack. First thing I did, I read the script and went to writin' songs about it.
By the way, the movie was tremendous. It was just an outstanding adventure. The cast is exceptional. Kelly Preston, Burt Reynolds, Tess Harper. Willie does a cameo. Everybody supported me in my first leading roll. It was fabulous. I've signed on to do two, three more projects. One of 'em is called [chuckles], "Beer For My Horses."
Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com
Toby Keith, Joe Nichols, Danielle Peck, Scotty Emerick, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Tacoma Dome; $49.75-$59.75 (206-628-0888 or www.ticketmaster.com; information, 253-272-3663, www.tacomadome.org or www.tobykeith.com).