After Toby Keith’s passing on February 5th, fans and followers wanted to know more about his wife, Tricia.
The last television interview that Toby Keith ever did was in January 2024. He spoke with reporter Robin March of News 9 in Oklahoma, and Toby revealed a great deal about Tricia. He claimed he found “unexpected blessings” throughout his cancer journey, including a “deeper appreciation” for Tricia and his entire family.
Toby described the time he and Tricia went to the hospital to begin his cancer treatment. The hospital was in Houston, Texas, and Toby revealed that Tricia “stepped right in, and she just took control.”
He called Tricia “the best nurse.” Toby also said, “She’s been a trooper,” and Tricia had told him, “We’re going to get this, and don’t worry about it.”
But even though Toby did not win his battle with cancer, he and Tricia were strong in their faith until the end, and he mentioned this during the News 9 interview. Toby admitted, “Cancer is a roller coaster. You just sit here and wait on it to go away—it may not ever go away.”
Toby and Tricia’s Love Story
Daily Mail described the love story of Toby and Tricia from their first encounter in 1981. Toby was 20 years old and a recent high school graduate. Tricia was 19 and had a young daughter named Shelley from a previous relationship.
People.com also revealed that Toby followed in his father’s footsteps and took an oil field job after graduation. Toby called the work “typical roughneck stuff,” although he earned $50,000 a year back then. Tricia was working as a secretary for an oil company, but she didn’t meet Toby at work.
Toby’s real passion was country-rock music, and he started a local group called the Easy Money Band. While the location was never named, Tricia met Toby at an “Oklahoma nightspot.”
Later, she told People magazine, “He was just one of those larger-than-life guys, full of confidence.” Years later, an article in The Boot revealed that Toby said he danced with Tricia the night he met her and thought “she was great.”
Tricia and Toby dated for three years and got married in 1984. Toby adopted Shelley, and they also had a daughter named Krystal in 1985 and a son named Stelen in 1997.
RELATED: All About Toby Keith’s Kids
In His Early Days, Toby Only Made $35 Per Gig
Toby was still working in the oil fields early on in his marriage, and The Boot reported that it could be a dangerous job—once, Toby even witnessed a fatal injury on the oil field. When “the oil fields went bust,” as Toby described in an interview with People, he began concentrating on music full-time. Tricia said that Toby told her, “One of these days, my time is coming. Hang in there.’”
But in the early days of Toby’s music career, he barely made enough to support his young family. The Boot reported that Toby and his Easy Money Band often made only about $35 per gig—plus free beer. So, while Tricia raised their children, People revealed that she also had to juggle the creditors.
According to The Boot, Toby once told Country Weekly that “dozens of people told Tricia, ‘You need to go tell your old man to get a real job.’” But Toby also admitted, “It took a strong-hearted and loving woman to say, ‘He’s good enough at music that I’ve got to let him try,” and Tricia also told the naysayers, “It’ll be a great shot for both of us if he can make it work.”
When Tricia was interviewed by People earlier in Toby’s career, she revealed what Toby was like as a husband, and Tricia also revealed something about herself. Tricia said it was nice “to get a bouquet of flowers” from Toby. But she told him, “Save the money. Roses die in five to seven days; buy me an outfit or take me to dinner,” instead.
The Couple Donated Their Time and Money to Help Children with Cancer
Tricia is also a dedicated philanthropist, and it’s interesting to note that she’s raised funds and awareness of childhood cancers. She and Toby started the Toby Keith Foundation in 2006, and their mission was to help children with cancer and their families.
Tricia and Toby did a video interview in 2014, and they talked about a lodging facility called the OK Kids Korral that houses families with kids getting treated for cancer in the Oklahoma area. Toby called the OK Kids Korral a mix of “a Ritz Carlton and Disney;” Tricia said that walking into the OK Kids Korral gave her goosebumps. She added, “One of the best things is when you go and see a smile” on the kids’ faces because they didn’t have to stay in a hospital room.
Toby and Tricia also enjoyed some free time during their marriage. He told People once that he and Tricia loved to play golf, although he joked that they were “not the best at the sport.”
Toby definitely made it work. In 2021, before his cancer diagnosis, his career earnings were estimated to be $500 million, according to The Boot.
In March 2021, The Boot reported one of the sweetest things that Toby ever confessed about Tricia and his personal life. Toby said, “I absolutely love performing and writing songs but being at home with my wife, Tricia, and my three kids is the best feeling of all.”
