By most accounts, Toby Keith (born Toby Keith Covel) took as much pride in how well his three adult children turned out as he did in his 30-plus year run as a respected songwriter and well-decorated country star.
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"I was raised by good parents and I have great kids," Toby told People. "They all grew up with me being successful, but they are not hooked on that part of the business."
Toby's Feb. 5, 2024 death at age 62 came just weeks before his and Tricia Lucus' 40th wedding anniversary. The couple tied the knot on March 24, 1984.
"I was 19 and he was 20," Tricia said about meeting her future husband at an Oklahoma bar (as quoted by "Today"). "He was just one of those larger-than-life guys, full of confidence."
Toby adopted Tricia's daughter Shelley shortly after the wedding. In 1985, the family expanded with the birth of Toby's first biological child, Krystal. Youngest sibling Stelen followed in 1997, making him the only one born after Toby's commercial breakthrough in 1993 as a country artist.
Upon the June 2022 announcement of Toby's stomach cancer diagnosis, he added that he was "looking forward to spending this time with my family" as he stepped away from the public eye.
Per the family's announcement of Toby's death, he passed away with his loved ones by his side.
Read on for everything we know about Toby's three kids.
Shelley Covel Rowland (Born in 1980)
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Tricia had her first daughter, Shelley, before meeting Toby. Shelley was adopted by Toby following his 1984 marriage to Tricia. Thus, she took the Covel last name.
Little is known about Shelley, except that she's married and is the mother of Toby's oldest grandchild.
She's appeared in public with her family sparingly, with the most recent outing being a 2015 event in Las Vegas for women's golf clothing company SwingDish. Tricia co-founded the SwingDish brand with her daughters.
Krystal Keith (Born on Sept. 30, 1985)
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Toby's first-born biological daughter followed her dad's bootsteps into country music. Instead of trying to outrun her dad's legacy, Krystal always embraced it. She took on the last name her dad used professionally and caught her first big break when as a teenager, she sang "Mockingbird" with her dad at the 2004 CMA Awards.
Krystal's own album, Whiskey & Lace, followed in 2013. Her best-known solo song, Krystal debuted "Daddy Dance With Me" at her own wedding to Andrew Sandubrae.
"I wrote it for my father-daughter dance at my own wedding, and we just did the video," she told Nashville Gab in 2013 (as quoted by People). "It was an amazing experience."
A University of Oklahoma graduate, she and her husband share two daughters: Kirby and Hensley.
"She's raising beautiful babies. I mean, she's a mother," Toby explained in a video by Taste of Country. "She loves to sing, but she loves being a mother and she's so busy with those kids. They are constantly doing something ... But I heard her sing at an event. She's still got the pipes."
Stelen Keith Covel (Born on April 17, 1997)
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The above photo of Toby and Tricia's youngest child's was taken just five days after the youngster's first birthday. It's from the 33rd annual CMA Awards, which were held on April 22, 1998. That all's a reminder that unlike his older siblings, Stelen Keith Covell was born into a celebrity family.
In 2014, Stelen posted to Instagram a different early-life photo in which he appears to be at some sort of music industry function.
"Tell me where I get it from. Man they always wonder who, then they meet my pops and tell him Stelen's just another you," the caption reads.
Like his oldest sister, Stelen's stayed away from the country spotlight. Per his LinkedIn, he's a commercial and residential real estate investor. In addition, he owns multiple businesses, including the 405 Burger Bar, Hollywood Corners, Tequila Chulos and Sellout Crowd Media. The latter covers sports with a focus on Oklahoma. Toby played semi-pro football before becoming a country star and was an Oklahoma Sooners fan and avid golfer until the end. Thus, one of Stelen's venures found him bonding with some of his dad's many interests.
Stelen married his wife Haley in November of 2021.
On June 13, 2022, Stelen posted a wedding photo flashback to Instagram along with a message about his dad's recent stomach cancer diagnosis, calling his dad a "fighter."
"Thank you to you all for the kind words and prayers regarding my dad's announcement yesterday," he wrote.
Toby died on Feb. 5, 2024 at the age of 62.
