3 Things To Know About Krystal Keith, Daughter of Late Country Icon Toby Keith

Country icon Toby Keith passed away in February at age 62 following a two-year battle with stomach cancer. “As great as he was in his career, he was so much greater as a dad and a husband and a Pop Pop,” wrote youngest daughter Krystal Keith of her “hero.” In July, Krystal brought on the waterworks with her emotional rendition of her father’s song, “Don’t Let the Old Man In.” Here are a few things to know about Toby Keith’s daughter and fellow country singer-songwriter.

1. Her Dad Helped Produce Her Debut Country Album

Following in her father’s footsteps, Krystal Keith released Whiskey & Lace, her country music debut, in 2013. Recently, she revealed that her dad not only produced the record, but made a cameo on the track ‘Beautiful Weakness.”

“I’m so lucky to get to listen to our voices together for eternity,” she wrote. “And as luck would have it, listening to it is exactly that, a beautiful weakness for me.”

2. Her Dad Made Her Get An Education Before Pursuing A Music Career

In 2004, Krystal Keith collaborated with her father on a cover of “Mockingbird” by Inez and Charlie Foxx. The track, which appears on Toby Keith’s compilation Greatest Hits 2, reached No. 27 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Perhaps Krystal could have kick-started her career right then and there, especially after performing “Mockingbird” with her dad at the 2004 Country Music Association awards ceremony. Instead, she attended the University of Oklahoma at her father’s insistence.

[RELATED: How the University of Oklahoma Football Team Plans to Honor Toby Keith at Every Home Game]

“My dad took the opportunity to make sure I had the tools I needed to survive in this industry and made me go to college so that I had a chance to grow up before I kind of put myself out there,” Krystal said in a 2013 interview.

3. Krystal Keith Begged To Tag Along On Her Dad’s USO Tours—To No Avail

Patriotism was key for Toby Keith, and it’s a value he instilled in his daughter. However, that sense of national pride didn’t extend to bringing her along on his many USO tours.

“He went into, like, dad mode,” Krystal Keith recently told Fox News. “He was like, ‘No, no, this is really important work I’m going to do, and no, my daughter is not – It’s not something where … I’m going to put you in danger so you can go experience this.’”

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