‘Catch of the Day’ – Toby Keith – “Beautiful Stranger” [AUDIO]

The spotlight today falls on an artist who recently became a grandfather for the third time; an Oklahoma native who has proven he is more than just a singer and songwriter; he is country music's version of a renaissance man.

Toby Keith has proven himself as a singer, songwriter, music executive, restaurateur, actor, family man and even as a professional wrestler. Born in Clinton, OK and raised in Moore and Ft. Smith, Arkansas, as a child Toby Keith Covell became interested in music when he would visit his grandmother in the summer, spending hours at her restaurant, Billie Garner's Supper Club. While doing odd jobs around the club, he would watch the musicians that played there, eventually getting up on stage with the performers.

Keith would form his first band, The Easy Money Band, while working in the Oklahoma oil fields after college. Keith attended the University of Oklahoma, playing defensive end for the Sooners in 1980, though he never saw game time action. Keith would drop out of OU to play for the semi-pro Oklahoma City Drillers, trying out for the Oklahoma Outlaws of the USFL, without success.

Returning his focus to music, Keith bounced around Oklahoma and Texas with the Easy Money Band through the 80's, playing every honky-tonk in the states. He found himself in Nashville in the early 90's, playing a local club called Hounddogs. He distributed copied of EMB's demo, but received little interested from record companies.

Keith returned to Oklahoma, but promised himself he would have a recording contract before he turned 30. Fate intervened when a fan of Keith's, who was a flight attendant, gave a copy of the demo to a Mercury Records executive who happened to be on a flight she was working. Harold Shedd liked what he heard, so he traveled to see Keith perform in person. He was further impressed, signing Keith to the label in 1992. Keith would go on to record 4 studio albums and 1 greatest hits package for Mercury, producing 15 top-20 hits and 3 #1 hits. The label rejected his fifth album, executives dissatisfied with all but 2 songs Keith recorded for the project. The two songs they found acceptable were added to the greatest hits album and Keith was told to go back and record another album; when the label rejected two more songs, Keith asked to released from his contract.

Toby would sign with DreamWorks Records in 1999. He would release five albums and a second greatest hits compilation with the label, adding 17 more top-20 hits and 12 #1s to his resume. When this contract expired in 2005, Keith founded Showdog Records, the label he runs and records on to this day. He has released 9 studio albums and career spanning Greatest Hits compilation with the label, and has amassed 19 top-20s and 6 #1's for his home label, bringing his career total to 51 top-20 hits and 21 #1s.

His most recent album, 35 MPH Town, was released in October and featured the lead single title track. The single failed to crack the top-40, though it was critically acclaimed. A second single is preparing to be released, and we have that song in out spotlight today. Toby Keith and "Beautiful Stranger" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.