In fact, the only time Toby Keith turns off his songwriting is when he's asleep or incapacitated – and even then a song might result. Ideas and melodies are surfacing in everyday conversation, rising up from an old memory or jumping out during a round of golf. But there's also an unending torrent of lyrics and song titles being stored on his cell phone. The road when an album's coming together. Sure, there are songwriting appointments and a few close collaborators who join him on No, songwriting isn't something Toby Keith does. Artistic and commercial achievements aren't the reasons he writes, however. The list of writer-artists in any genre who have achieved or exceeded the collective airplay Keith has amassed is quite short. The Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted Toby Keith two years ago and the Academy ofĬountry Music gave him the Poet's Award this year – exceedingly high songwriting honors amidst a career chock full of them.
