TV shows love their Toby

When Toby Keith puts out a new CD, he makes the rounds like everyone does, but in his case, the political TV shows of all political persuasions like to visit with him as well. This week, he visited HLN’s Joy Behar, where he weighed in on a few issues (click here for that video), then today he’s scheduled to be on Fox and Friends. That’s the same show that got Hank Williams junior going on Hitler and Obama. Will something newsworthy and controversial result from Toby’s visit? I’m sure he’ll speak his mind, but I’m guessing he’ll avoid the H-word, if you know what I mean.  By the way, Toby’s interview with us from Wednesday is right here.

Not his band or his singers.  Toby says that if the performers on his tour want to drink a little drink or smoke a little smoke, he doesn’t care, as long as they can still do their jobs.  But when it comes to the crew, it’s a different matter altogether.  Toby says everyone handling equipment has to be tested regularly, and this is a lesson he learned the hard way.  About 15 years ago, Toby and the band had just left the stage when a huge piece of lighting rigging crashed on to the stage.  Turns out the guy who set it up was a meth addict.  So there you go.  No more messing around.  Toby’s crew has been peeing in a cup ever since!

“Clancy’s Tavern,” Toby’s new CD, is out today.  (Don’t forget:  he takes over The Wolf today from noon to 1, and then chats with us Wednesday morning at 7:20.)   Anyway, you’ll get “Made in America,” “Red Solo Cup,” and much more, including the title track, which I really like.  Here Toby explains to “Roughstock” the real life story behind the song:

“My Grandmother passed away when she was 86; she was like Miss Kitty and ran a supper club/night club in Fort Smith for years. So when I was a kid, some of the earliest memories I have of being on this earth were going by her night club and seeing my Grandmother. I spent a whole summer with her, and years ago I wrote the song “Honkytonk U” about it and her buying me a guitar. This song is a tribute to her. The name of the bar was Billy Garners’ Supper Club, but it wasn’t fitting into my song very well. My Grandfather had nicknamed her Clancy because she was a saloon keeper, and always called her Clancy around the house. So I used Clancy’s Tavern. I give you the visual and everything you see when you go in the door. There’s nothing made up in this song. Every bit of this is word for word, exactly what you would have seen if you went in the front door at 5:00 and stayed all night long. It’s a pretty special song to me.”

Click here to here some clips, or tune in at noon today!

This is fun for so many reasons.  First of all, Toby’s either a great actor or really truly drunk, or maybe both? Second, there are tons of special guests who pop in, like Eric Church.  Third, it just looks like a bunch of people got together for a party and happened to have a camera running.  There’s nothing socially redeeming about this, and in fact, it’s quite family un-friendly, but I guarantee it will make you smile.

It’s actually called Belmar Golf Club, but it’s owned by Toby Keith, and I told you earlier this week that someone had strolled in and emptied out the cash register there.  Now comes the news that the pool house there has burned to the ground.  Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the damage came to about $70,000.  What the heck is going on there in Norman, Oklahoma?

Here’s a local news piece from Oklahoma that shows the surveillance video of the guy who robbed Toby Keith’s golf club this week.  Probably not the best guy to honk off, right?  Toby is offering a generous reward to whoever can help identify this guy, who obviously didn’t know there were cameras on him…

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Every year, Forbes magazine does a rundown of the most powerful and influential people in show biz.  No surprise that Oprah is usually #1 on the list, since it’s based on earnings and media exposure.  This year, Lady Gaga displaced Queen Oprah, putting her at #2, but what about country stars?  Taylor Swift is by far the highest ranked at #7.  Forbes claims her earnings in the last year have been around $45 million, but every time we talk to celebs about these estimates they always say they’re way high (or do they just not want to admit how filthy rich they are?)  Anyway, following Taylor is Brad Paisley at #48, Toby Keith at #51 and Tim McGraw at #61.

I’m talking about Toby Keith, and American Soldiers.  Last night on “Dancing With the Stars,” he sang his hit song about them, and today he heads over to the Middle East for his NINTH USO tour.  3 countries, 12 days.  Watch Toby on DWTS here:

“Dancing” is in “quotes” because Toby won’t actually be foxtrotting or jitterbugging.  But he will be on “Dancing With the Stars” tonight, singing “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “American Soldier” to help out with the America theme this week.  That’s tonight at 9 on ABC.