‘Taylor Swift is only about one person…’: John Rich Calls Out Taylor Swift Over Silence On Toby Keith | HO
Country Star John Rich has called out Taylor Swift over her silence on the passing of country music Icon Toby Keith. John Rich is asking that Taylor Swift take a moment to recognize and honor the man who gave her, her very firs record deal and break into the music industry. Our hearts and prayers are continuing to go out to Toby Keith’s family and friends during this time. We will forever miss you Toby Keith! Thank you for everything!
Toby Keith has long been credited for helping get Taylor Swift’s career off the ground. Fans of Keith, including his fellow country star John Rich, are puzzled that Swift hasn’t acknowledged the singer’s death on social media.
Toby Keith Passed Away Monday (Feb. 5) After A Two-Year Battle With Stomach Cancer.
His family shared the news in a post made to social media that read, “Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Toby Keith / Facebook
Tributes from fans and other celebrities poured in after the news was announced. But, one notable celebrity has yet to acknowledge Keith’s passing.
Taylor Swift Has Toby Keith To Thank For Her First Record Deal.
In 2005, when Taylor Swift was an unknown teen, she signed her first record deal. She became one of the first artists signed to Scott Borchetta’s newly-launched Big Machine Records.
Reportedly, Toby Keith partnered his own label, Show Dog Nashville, with Big Machine Records and provided Borchetta with the financing and infrastructure needed to get Big Machine off the ground. Toby’s financing also allowed the label to sign a 15-year-old Taylor Swift to her first record deal.
In an interview Swift did that same year, she told a local news outlet that she didn’t think she would ever get to the point that she wasn’t in awe of Toby Keith.
“You’re in a room with him and you can feel it. There’s a power there,” Taylor said at the time.
It’s unclear how active Toby was in Taylor’s early career, but it’s clear he believed in her talent enough to put money behind her and get her career off the ground.
Following Toby Keith’s Death, Fans Are Calling For Swift To Make A Statement.
Thousands of posts honoring Toby have been posted in the hours and days following his death. But, Taylor has remained quiet. Country star John Rich called out Swift on X (formerly Twitter) for seeming to ignore the news.
“When is @taylorswift13 going to share some words about Toby Keith? The man who discovered her, got her the 1st record deal? Taylor, where are you today? #TobyKeith,” Rich wrote, and shared the clip of Taylor’s 2005 interview.
Taylor Swift’s old video thanking Toby Keith for launching her career resurfaces after legend’s death
In a 2005 video that surfaced again, Swift thanked Keith for giving her the big break she needed, just days after it was announced that the legendary country music icon died at the age of 62 from stomach cancer.
The ‘Bad Blood’ singer, then 15 years old, talked about how Keith helped her get signed when she was practically unknown in a 2005 interview with WSMV 4, Nashville. She also mentioned how crucial their early-career collaboration was.
“You’re in the room and you can feel it. There’s a power there,” young Swift was heard saying in the video.
“There’s a power there and you’re just like ‘Oh my God!’ I don’t think I’ll ever get to a point where I don’t see him and go, ‘Oh my God, that’s Toby Keith!’” Swift exclaimed at the time.
2005 Taylor Swift talking about Toby Keith after being signed by his record label 🥹💔 #RIPTobyKeith #TobyKeith pic.twitter.com/FCxh5ezRpp
— Samantha D. (@Prolife_Sam) February 6, 2024
Keith left Big Machine in 2006, not long after signing Swift, but he retained stock in the business. In 2018, Swift’s association with the record company came to a sudden end, and the two parted ways.
When Big Machine was acquired by Scooter Braun’s firm, Ithaca Holdings in 2019, it sparked a public spat between Braun and Swift and prompted Swift to release ‘Taylor’s Version’ re-recordings of songs from her first six albums.
Swift is now in the midst of rerecording all of her albums after CEO Borchetta infamously sold her collection to Scooter Braun for an astounding $300 million, per Daily Mail.
