Who Is Toby Keith's Wife Tricia Lucus?
Fans of Toby Keith were devastated when the country music superstar died at age 62 following a years-long battle with stomach cancer on February 5, 2024. The hard-edged, no-nonsense singer was hugely popular, and his string of hits, which included "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," "Beer for My Horses," and "As Good As I Once Was," among several others, won over country fans everywhere.
In 2001, Keith explained his lyrical formula to The Associated Press. "I write about life, and I sing about life, and I don't overanalyze things," he said. At the age of 18, he learned a hard lesson about money as Keith was able to earn $50,000 a year working in the then-flourishing oil industry, but when that all tanked, he realized he hadn't saved anything. Luckily, the experience ultimately taught him to be more fiscally responsible.
According to People, around the time he was working in the oil fields, in the early 1980s, Keith and his group, Easy Money, started performing in bars. It was then that he met Tricia Lucus, who also worked for an oil company as a secretary. "I was 19 and he was 20. He was just one of those larger-than-life guys, full of confidence," she reminisced. The two hit it off and got married in 1984, which was a stroke of luck for Keith as Lucus would soon prove to be one of his biggest supporters.
Lucus added some reality to their relationship
After entering into wedded bliss on March 24, 1984, country music star Toby Keith was able to adopt wife Tricia Lucus' daughter Shelley. The couple later welcomed two more children together; daughter Krystal in 1985 and son Stelen in 1997. Keith and Krystal had a great relationship, and she even became a country singer just like her dad. On the July 23, 2018, episode of the podcast "Children of Song," Krystal clarified that Keith's busy touring schedule didn't have much of an impact on her early life. "When he was home, he was so present that I don't remember the spans of him being gone," she explained.
After his debut single "Should've Been A Cowboy" became a major hit in 1993, Keith continued to climb the Billboard charts in the 90s, and subsequently, "Beer for My Horses" reached number one in 2001. Keith owns several brands that Lucus manages, and between them and his musical success, Keith was the fifth wealthiest country music singer around with an estimated net worth of $400 million per Celebrity Net Worth.
However, Lucus revealed to People that although "Most people think he is just the most romantic person on the planet," she injected a much-needed dose of reality into their relationship, divulging, "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.'"
She stood by the country star to the end
Tricia Lucus was always there for her husband, Toby Keith, throughout their many years together, and she told People that after the collapse of the oil fields made things financially difficult for the couple in terms of putting food on the table and dealing with creditors, he would reassure her by saying, "'Trish, one of these days, my time is coming. Hang in there.'"
Hollywood Life reported on an interview that Keith once had with the now-defunct magazine, Country Weekly, in which he praised the support that Lucus gave him. While many people advised her to tell him to "get a real job," she stood by Keith nevertheless. "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,'" he gushed.
Sadly, in June 2022, the country star shared devastating news on Instagram. "Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer," he wrote, continuing, "I've spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax." But Keith remained upbeat, expressing that he wanted to enjoy time with his family and fans. Lucus continued to stand by her man, offering support until the end.