Toby Keith’s wife, Tricia Lucus, has remained at his side through thick and thin throughout the years, and she is still his rock three decades later. Aside from health challenges, he battled to break into the industry before becoming a seasoned celebrity.
Moore High School is where the singer-songwriter graduated in 1979. Following that, he became an oil field laborer, earning $50,000 per year.
Keith’s passion of music was well-established at the time. As a youngster, he trained himself to play the guitar and created unique songs. The future country music artist stated that he wrote “200 to 300 songs” before writing a smash tune.
In his spare time, Keith would perform at local clubs with his band Easy Money as a music hustler. He met his future wife, Tricia Lucus, at one of the clubs where he was performing at the time. They met on the dance floor that night and started dating soon after.
Lucus, a 19-year-old oil business secretary, said in June what drew her to her then-20-year-old future husband. He was one of those larger-than-life characters, full of self-assurance.
Lucus and Keith dated for three years before marrying on March 24, 1984. Lucus already had a daughter, Shelley, from a prior relationship, whom she welcomed in 1980, and Keith eventually adopted and reared her as his own.
Keith’s firm had gone bankrupt by the time the couple married, so he moved his concentration to music. While trying to juggle everything else, including raising a family and crunching the statistics at home, the Oklahoma native and his band started playing full-time.
Considering his financial difficulties, Keith’s spirit did not appear to be broken. In fact, Lucus remembered his telling her that he would make it big one day.
The couple had to struggle with creditors who nagged them nonstop to get their finances in line. However, Lucus had to deal with criticism from others who advised her to persuade Keith to get a “real job.” They were dismissive of his ambitions to be a musician, but this did not dissuade him.
The “As Good as I Once Was” singer stated he was lucky that his wife muffled the outside noise and that he felt he would someday make a living from his music profession.
Lucus felt it would assist her and Keith in the long term, and her tolerance paid off many years later. Forbes calculated how much the record producer had amassed in the five years before that year in June 2013. Keith has never earned less than $48 million per year, and he earned $270 million between 2012 and 2013.
Keith wrote No. 1 country hits every year for the next twenty years of his career. His total worth was projected to be more than $500 million, making him one of the most successful country singers of all time.
Keith’s big break came in 1993, when his debut single, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” garnered radio exposure and quickly became a smash, rocketing to the top of the charts. In the 1990s, the song was the most-played country tune.
However, as Keith and Lucus remained together despite his steady climb to popularity, money was no longer a contentious issue. Following their marriage, they welcomed their first child, daughter Krystal, in 1985. Stelen, their son, was born years later, in 1997.
Meanwhile, Keith’s career progressed, and he gained consistent acclaim for his efforts over the years. He signed multimillion-dollar endorsement agreements, as well as launching a whiskey brand and a restaurant chain, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill.
Keith and his family continue to live in Oklahoma and have a private life. He is said to possess 40 Thoroughbred racehorses as well as a 60-acre farm on the outskirts of Oklahoma City. He also constructed an 8,500-square-foot home for his wife and children.
Despite his success, Keith stays modest and cherishes his spouse and family. He stated that being in their company is invaluable since nothing else can compare.
While savoring the rewards of his effort, the Hollywood celebrity received dreadful news: he had stomach cancer. In the fall of 2021, Keith was diagnosed with the condition.
He continues to rely on his family for assistance at this difficult time in his life. In June 2022, the father of three announced to his supporters that he was leaving the spotlight to undergo chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery.
In the midst of his health fight, he recently voiced hope while stating that he needed time to “rest up” and recuperate. Keith stated that, despite his physical weakness as a result of his ailment, there is “something nice” to look forward to as long as everything works out during the recovery process.
The “Trailerhood” singer stated he endured six months of chemo, radiation, and surgery and that all was going well.
He also stated that, while he would be spending more time with his family, he is looking forward to meeting his fans, which may be “sooner” than planned.
Keith congratulated his adoring fans on Instagram, calling them the “greatest.” He said, “Thank you all for your love and support. I have the best fans in the world.”
