Posted on 05/27/2004 11:43:24 AM PDT by aft_lizard
LAS VEGAS -- The big winner at Wednesday's (May 26) Academy of Country Music Awards wasn't expecting to take home any trophies, but Toby Keith has been around long enough to know the drill.
Keith won in four categories, including entertainer of the year and male vocalist. His Shock 'n Y'all was named album of the year, and a collaboration with Willie Nelson on "Beer for My Horses" managed to lasso the fan-voted video of the year honor.
"It feels like the Joker overthrew the kingdom," Keith said as he arrived in the backstage pressroom.
Keith's lifetime average of winning awards has only improved in recent years. In the days leading up to this year's ACM show, he said, "It didn't feel like we had a chance going in. Everybody kept it under their hat. …. Sometimes those guys mess up. The guys working the stage know who the winner is. So if me and Alan [Jackson] are backstage … they say, 'You two stand over here. We're going to put the camera on you.' And you're both standing there already, and they go, 'Alan, now come over here and stand in front of the camera.' You already know Alan's won. Then they go, 'Oh, yeah. You, too, Toby.'"
Keith's only hope this year was to win the video award.
"They let the video be voted on by the fans this year, so I thought me and Willie might have a shot," he said. "I wanted so bad for Willie to get that award. He's so deserving of everything he gets. That video was overlooked and overlooked, and it's like a five-minute minimovie. He did a great job in it." Keith also credited video director Michael Salomon.
During the press conference, Keith confirmed that he is working on a new album for release in November. He hinted that one of the tracks will be a new vocal collaboration.
"I've got a duet underway, but I'm not at liberty to speak about it because it's not a done deal yet," he said. "But if the thing goes [through], it's with a female, and it will be huge."
Keith also revealed plans for another overseas tour to entertain troops fighting the war in Iraq. Noting that his accomplice will be gonzo rocker and noted firearms enthusiast Ted Nugent, Keith joked, "He's already advanced the ammo." Describing the tour, he said, "It's just a few of us going in. We're taking in a couple of acoustic guitars and just hanging with the guys and taking some goodwill to them."
Keith was asked about his reaction to Willie Nelson's intentions to join Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond in performing at an upcoming event raising money for presidential hopeful John Kerry.
"You've got to put your politics aside," Keith responded. "Willie understands where I come from, and he understands where I come from. I get accused of banging the war drum, but Willie knows me better than that. He knows we're all about peace. Sometimes [war] is the only answer.
"I never one time have ever, anywhere, said anything about the Iraq war. Some guy in L.A. wrote a column on me one time that said I was trying [capitalizing on the war] to save my career. That's such bullshit. There's a difference between supporting your troops. I'm an American. I can pick and choose when I can make my statements. Nobody should listen to what I have to say, anyway. They ought to worry about themselves.
"I know the troops really well. They come to my shows every night. They're missing arms, they're missing legs, burnt beyond recognition. They show up with a little old tore up, dusty CD cover and say, 'I want you to sign this. At every checkpoint, we stepped out, we saluted and played this song.' If it means that much to them, I don't give a damn what anybody thinks about it.
But as far as Willie's deal with John Kerry goes, people don't know that I'm a registered Democrat. I'm very conservative, to say, the least, but I'm a registered Democrat, and my family has been all along. I have to go from election to election and pick the guy I believe in -- and vote in my own manner. I vote for the guy who gets the job done.
"I don't envy President Bush's job. If he doesn't do anything about terrorism and we stick our head in the sand and something else happens, he's a goat. If he goes over there and it's bloody right now, it looks bad again. He's got a tough job. It's a no-win situation. It always is with war."
Why is the hell is he still a demo? He has to be humiliated by his party.
Ever noticed that before Toby came out with him being a democrat he was basically snubbed, now that he lets people know that he is a dim they give him awards.
I know he is pretty conservative and pro 2nd amendment just a generational democrat like my mom. But it doesnt seem to me that he is anti-Bush or anti-Iraq war like some have suggested recently.
I think he is just a generational democrat much like the south still is although they vote republican.
It is a vestigial association.
Conservative on every issue, vote Republican 99% of the time...
But they are registered Democrats and won't change, when asked why they usually say something to the effect of , "I promised grandpa on his death bed that I would always be a democrat..."
I wonder what the Dixie Chicks are doing right about now. Just two years ago, they could've expected to reap quite a few awards on an annual basis. Hmm... ;^)
Just like Zell Miller, he refuses repeatedly to change parties but will vote for Bush.
The last I heard about the Dixie Chicks was that they were not going to be country musicians anymore since they felt that country music left them after there overseas hate parade.
Pro Bush and pro military.
My father in-law changed his voter registration last year to Republican for the first time. He's been voting for almost 60 years, and only voted for a democrat once. I think it's partly cultural with some who remember a different democratic party.
He said he's not sure the numbers add up for him on Iraq-- meaning he's not sure whether it was a good idea. He hasn't come out as opposed, just agnostic.
Keith will vote for Brad Carson and your neighbors will vote for Rockefeller and Byrd.
I enjoy Toby kieth's music. I watched that 60 Minutes 2 special on CMT one night. He gave Dan Rather all he wanted and then some about Peter Jennings. Toby also said he had some concerns about the war in Iraq, but didn't really elaborate as I recall.
I have a friend who is listed as a Democrat. She just registered that way because her mom had. She also isn't really into politics, so when I told her was Dems stood for her reaction was, "That's them?" She says she has always voted conservatively.
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