On May 17, 2005, country star Toby Keith released his ninth studio album, Honkytonk University. The record would be Keith’s final production with DreamWorks before the label filed for bankruptcy in 2006.
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Honkytonk University was a pretty substantial success for Keith in the early aughts. It was certified platinum for sales, and the song “As Good As I Once Was” was an enormous hit on the charts. The song stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for a total of six weeks and also received the Song of the Year Award from BMI in 2006.
‘Honkytonk University’ Ended Up Being a Big Deal for Toby Keith’s Career
Filled to the brim with songs written by Toby Keith and Scotty Emerick, Honkytonk University made waves with songs like “Honkytonk U”, “As Good As I Once Was”, and “Big Blue Note”. The album also featured a duet with Merle Haggard titled “She Ain’t Hooked On Me No More”.
“Honktonk U” broke the Top 10 on the country charts, and the whole of the album peaked at no. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album features a number of collaborations outside of Merle Haggard and Scotty Emerick. Dean Dillon and Chuck Cannon also contributed to the album.
According to Keith, the inspiration for the album’s title came over a decade before the record was put together. Known for being from the state of Oklahoma, Keith supported the University of Oklahoma near his hometown of Moore. The Sooners fan said that he really wanted his children to attend the school.
“I want my kids to go to OU, and I’m tight with some of the people there,” Keith said. “Over the holidays, somebody asked me if I went there, and I said no… I graduated from the school of hard knocks. I went to Honkytonk U. It just sounded like a title.”
“As Good As I Once Was”, the biggest song from the record, was inspired by Keith’s own father.
“He’d tell my mom, ‘You know, I ain’t as good as I once was, baby, but I’m as good once as I ever was,’” said Keith. “And I just never thought I could turn that into a song.”
Photo by Rick Diamond/WireImage
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