Toby Keith played no small part in launching Taylor Swift‘s career. The country legend, who passed away at 62 in February 2024, endorsed Big Machine Records, the label, run by Scott Borchetta, that first signed the would-be pop superstar.
A video of 15-year-old Taylor Swift recounting the early days of her music journey and how she felt meeting Keith for the first time instantly resurfaced online after Keith’s passing, highlighting the two’s professional relationship. “You’re in the room with him and you can feel it. There’s a power there and you’re just like ‘Oh my god!’,” a young Taylor Swift excitedly said, admitting she would most likely always feel that way.
Has Taylor Swift said anything about Toby Keith’s death?
No. Taylor Swift has yet to send out public condolences for Toby Keith’s untimely death. The “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” singer lost the battle against stomach cancer after a little over two years, leaving behind his wife Tricia Lucus and their three children, Stelen, Krystal, and Shelley.
Swift, who has been juggling awards shows, sold-out stadium concerts, and supporting her boyfriend Travis Kelce at the SuperBowl came under fire for not acknowledging Keith’s passing from the likes of 50-year-old country artist John Rich and right-wing YouTuber and comedian Alex Stein.
“When is Taylor Swift going to share some words about Toby Keith? The man who discovered her, got her the 1st record deal? Taylor, where are you today?,” Rich said on his X profile above a video of the previously mentioned clip of the “Cruel Summer” artist at 15. In the same vein, Stein called Swift’s silence about the death of the man who “basically discovered her” disrespectful. “She should’ve stood up and said something about him, but maybe because his political ideologies are more conservative – I don’t know but I would hate for her to be that catty considering the guy basically discovered her,” he told SkyNews.
While Keith did play a hand in giving Big Machine Records the infrastructure it needed to get off its feet, the man credited for discovering and signing Swift is Scott Borchetta. Keith left the joint venture in 2006 before Swift had even put out her first album. He profited from her music, which she has fought to regain ownership of, until he died.