Relive Toby Keith’s Unapologetically Patriotic Performance of “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” While Battling Cancer

Toby Keith may have never got the chance to stage the career return he probably wanted, but he certainly didn’t let the old man in. The country singer staged several performances amid his battle with cancer including two surprise shows at the Hollywood Corners, a bar in Oklahoma.

During the show, Keith put his all into an absolutely fiery rendition of “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.” Keith wrote the song as a patriotic anthem following the 9/11 attacks. In the years since, Keith has gotten some flack for the song.

However, Keith had a message for any critics, “Never apologize for being patriotic. F*ck em.”

Speaking with AZ Central, Keith discussed the impact “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” had on his career. The country singer never saw himself as political. However, his support of the military led to him being labeled a certain way.

“You can’t go out and support the military in Afghanistan or you get all the right-wing checkmarks that come with it. I was like, “Well, I’m just gonna take ‘em. Mark me down. Just check me off however you want to check me off,” Keith said. “It never did stop me. And it never did dishearten me. I was just in a world of going ‘What the f–k?’ (laughs) ‘What is this about?’ Part of it is because you’re rich and famous, too?”

Toby Keith Talked “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue”

The biggest surprise for Keith was when certain critics shunned him in public for supporting the military.

“You won’t believe how many times about 15 years ago, when I first started doing USO Tours and ‘Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue’ came out, you’d walk up to somebody and you’d say “Hi” and they would go, “No, no, no, no. We’re not doing this,” Keith said. “And I’d be like, ‘What for? What’s up?’ ‘Oh, you’re politically different than I am. I can’t work with you.’ So I quit asking. I just went and did it myself.”

Initially, Keith had planned to release the song just for the troops on USO tours. However, after playing the song for the Pentagon, Keith’s plans changed, according to CBS.

“He [the Marine Corp commandant] said, ‘You have to release it. You can serve your country in other ways besides suiting up in combat.’ We will go kick their butts. But we survive on morale,” says Keith. “I mean, we live on the morale. That’s what we travel on. And, he said I highly recommend you put that song out.”

The song ended up becoming one of Keith’s most popular and talked about songs.

[Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT]