37 Years Ago: Toby Keith Marries Tricia Lucus
Thirty-seven years ago today (March 24, 1984) was a happy day for Toby Keith: It was on that date that Keith wed Tricia Lucus, when he was just 22 years old.
The couple met when Lucus (now Tricia Covel) was 19 and Keith was 20, at a club.
"He was just one of those larger-than-life guys, full of confidence," she recalls to People magazine.
Their marriage made Keith a father to Shelley, Lucus' daughter, who was born in 1980 and adopted by Keith after their nuptials. Together, they also have a daughter, the singer-songwriter Krystal Keith, and a son, Stelen.
At the time of their wedding, Keith was working in the oil fields, but when work dried up, he decided to focus on music, causing a big financial strain on their family.
"He'd say, 'Trish, one of these days, my time is coming. Hang in there,'" Lucus recounts.
Clearly, Keith's hard work paid off: He consistently ranks at the top of lists of the wealthiest entertainers in the country, but his wife never forgets their humble beginnings.
"Most people think he is just the most romantic person on the planet," she admits. "He has his moments of charm. It is nice to get a bouquet of flowers, but I've told him, 'Save the money. Roses die in five to seven days. Buy me an outfit, or take me to dinner.'"
Keith has said that it's his wife who deserves much of the credit.
“Dozens of people told Tricia, ‘You need to go tell your old man to get a real job,'" he recalls to Country Weekly. "It took a strong-hearted and loving woman to say, ‘He’s good enough at music that I’ve got to let him try. And it’ll be a great shot for both of us if he can make it work.’”
March 24 is a bittersweet day for the country music superstar: Keith's father passed away on March 24, 2001, on Keith and Lucus' 17th wedding anniversary.
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