Who inspired Toby Keith?

Toby Keith was inspired by many country music artists, including Merle Haggard, George Strait, and Willie Nelson. He was also inspired by his father, Hoby Keith, who was a musician and songwriter. Keith began playing guitar at the age of eight and wrote his first song at the age of 13. He moved to Nashville in 1991 and signed with Mercury Records in 1993. His debut album, _Toby Keith_, was released in 1993 and produced the hit singles "Should've Been a Cowboy" and "A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action." Keith has since released 17 studio albums, selling over 40 million albums worldwide. He has also won numerous awards, including the Academy of Country Music Awards for Top Male Vocalist in 2002 and 2003 and the Country Music Association Awards for Song of the Year in 2002 for "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)."