Paying Tribute: Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue

 By Jami Morain

    On Feb. 5, country music singer Toby Keith, 62, died after battling stomach cancer for the past 2 years. He announced in June 2022, "Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover, and relax.”

    Mayo Clinic explains stomach cancer can occur anywhere in the stomach, but in the United States it typically happens where the esophagus meets the stomach. This cancer usually isn’t diagnosed right away because the symptoms are common and easy to ignore.

    I don't remember how old I was or the season, but my mom played "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" one day and I remember telling her I liked it. She explained Keith wrote it for 9/11. That was one of the first times, if not the first, the tragedy was explained to me and I felt the weight. She also explained to me how the nation united together with patriotism. Americans were sad, scared and angry, but Keith's song helped them channel their emotions.

My friend, Jada, and my mom, Kandie,
celebrating Independce Day.

    Keith's father, a veteran, died in March 2001, so when the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened, he knew he needed to honor his dad. 

    "I wrote ['Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue'] on the back of a Fantasy Football sheet that was laying there,” Keith said according to theboot.com, “I just turned it and wrote around the edges and, in about 20 minutes, wrote the lyric out and called it 'The Angry American.'”

    He later explained the title changed from "The Angry American" to "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" because he never says “the angry American" in the song.

     Keith performed the song acoustically at the Pentagon before Marines were deployed to Afghanistan for the first time. A commander approached Keith and told him the song needed to be released as a single because it was "the most amazing battle song" he had ever heard in his life. Keith debated it before ultimately deciding, "If it means that much to those guys, then I don't care. I'll do it." The song was released in May 2002.

    "It wasn't written for everybody," Keith told CBS in 2003. "And when you write something from your heart — I had a dad that was a veteran, taught me how precious our freedom is — I was so angry when we were attacked here on American soil that it leaked out of me. You know, some people wept when they heard it. Some people got goosebumps. Some people were emotionally moved. Some cheered, turned their fists in the air."

    I walked into my class this morning and found students sitting close together talking about how upset they were by Keith's death. Some students had cried while others chose to blast his music in his honor. Right before class started, someone turned on "Courtesy of Red, White and Blue," and we all sang it together. As it played, one student exclaimed that the song is the most patriotic song he had ever heard. After all, there is a reason it's repeatedly played on the Fourth of July. 

    People still connect through the song 22 years later, even a generation born after 9/11.

    On Jan. 16, Country AirCheck recognized eight of Keith's songs in the top 100 most played songs from the past 50 years. Amongst those songs were "I Love This Bar," "American Soldier," "Beer For My Horses" and "I Wanna Talk About Me."

   Listening to "God Love Her," my favorite Keith song to drive around with my windows down, already feels different. But I will keep singing it in my car in memory of Keith and feeling grateful he made such a great song.

    As my dad texted me today, "I'm sorry that his passing has made you sad. He has been sick with cancer for a long time. His music will live on though."