CMT Goes Home With One of Country's Hottest Superstars in 'HOMECOMING: TOBY KEITH' Premiering May 21

CMT Goes Home With One of Country's Hottest Superstars in 'HOMECOMING: TOBY KEITH' Premiering May 21

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- It's often said, "you can't go home," but superstar Toby Keith has never left. CMT HOMECOMING: TOBY KEITH premieres Saturday, May 21 at 8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT* and features an exclusive interview and rare acoustic performance by Toby Keith. In the revealing one- hour special, Keith takes us to his hometown of Moore, Oklahoma and candidly shares memories of his childhood and insight into his life as an "Okie."

In CMT HOMECOMING, Keith looks back to rural Oklahoma in the early 1970s, a place and time when he started on his path to country music stardom and how his hometown influenced so much of his music. Interviews include friends and family, including a rare interview with Keith's mother and sister, his best childhood friends, band members from the early days and local Oklahoma legends, like former Oklahoma University head coach Barry Switzer. Keith takes CMT to his childhood home in Moore, Oklahoma, showing viewers the corral where he worked rodeos in high school, the local strip where he cruised in his first pickup truck, Oklahoma University stadium, where he developed his passion for sports, and the oil fields where he inherited his intense work ethic. Keith also speaks candidly about his formative years, his father and his politics.

Singer/songwriter and acclaimed entertainer Toby Keith landed atop five of Billboard's 2004 yearend rankings including "Top Country Artist." His release the previous year, "Shock'N Y'all," was also one of the top selling country offerings of 2004. Currently his November release of "Greatest Hits 2" is nearing triple platinum and continues to be one of the genre's top sellers. Keith remains one of country's top touring acts and a highly respected musician and songwriter. Willie Nelson has included a version of the Keith- penned "Tired" on his new album. Keith, the first country artist to perform an AOL Music Live concert with a record-breaking 850,000 downloads in the first 24 hours, will release a new studio album on May 17. The first single, "HonkyTonk U," is a semi-autobiographical song that harkens back to days that Keith spent working in his grandmother's nightclub. His national headlining tour "Toby Keith's Big Throwdown II" begins June 10 in Charlotte, NC. Keith has won eight CMT MUSIC AWARDS including "Video of the Year" in 2003 and 2004 and "Hottest Video" in 2005.

For more information on HOMECOMING: TOBY KEITH log on to CMT.com

CMT, America's No. 1 country music network, carries original programming, specials, and live concerts and events, as well as a mix of videos by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, including world premiere exclusive videos. Founded March 6, 1983, CMT, owned and operated by MTV Networks, reaches more than 77.1 million households in the United States. Go to country music's biggest web site at www.CMT.com .

*EDITORS: CMT HOMECOMING: TOBY KEITH debuts Saturday, May 21 at 8:00 PM, Eastern; 7:00 PM, Central; 9:00 PM, Mountain; and 8:00 PM, Pacific.

Source: CMT

CONTACT: Cindy McLean of CMT, +1-615-335-8404, or cindy.mclean@cmt.com

Web site: http://www.cmt.com/

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