Toby Keith Entertains Troops on a USO Tour to Cuba, Germany, Belgium and the Persian Gulf

Toby Keith Entertains Troops on a USO Tour to Cuba, Germany, Belgium and the Persian Gulf

WASHINGTON, May 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Country music superstar and winner of the "Hottest Video of the Year" at last month's CMT Video Music awards ceremony, Toby Keith is set to embark on his third USO tour to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Germany; Belgium and the Persian Gulf. Once there, two-time consecutive winner of the "Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year" will perform free shows, "meet and greet" service men and women, tour a variety of job posts and provide a break from the daily grind for the troops.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031119/USO )

A strong supporter of our troops, the native Oklahoman has traveled to Kuwait, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Italy, Germany and Iraq on previous USO trips. Keith's devotion becomes even clearer when listening to some of his most popular tracks including "American Soldier," which chronicles the trials and tribulations of members of the armed forces. This chart- topping single is up for "Song of the Year" at this year's Academy of Country Music awards ceremony.

With a passion for music from a young age, the former semi-professional football player spent his young adulthood as the lead singer for the Easy Money Band. The group played local honky-tonks and bars, and the hard work paid off. In 1993, the singer/songwriter/producer released his self-titled debut album. The double platinum record enjoyed three #1 songs including "A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action," "Should've Been a Cowboy" and "Wish I Didn't Know Now."

Over the next decade, Keith wrote many hit songs and released several more successful albums. Selling more than 20 million records, he toured the world bringing his down-home blend of country to a devoted fan base. Also during this time, he was showered with numerous awards and accolades, including honors from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association, the American Music Awards and the Billboard Music Awards. His latest effort, "Honkytonk University," is scheduled to be released May 17. The album contains the smash, autobiographical hit "Honkytonk U." and his brand new single, "As Good As I Once Was."

For more than 64 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale and recreation-type services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by World Partners Avon Products, Inc., AT&T Corporation, BAE SYSTEMS, Bass Pro Shops, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Computer Systems Center, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Military Channel, Morgan Stanley, National Football League, Northwest Airlines, Inc., Reader's Digest, Sara Lee, S & K Sales Company, TriWest Healthcare Alliance and The Walt Disney Company. Other organizations, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-0600), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at http://www.uso.org/

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031119/USO AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk; photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: USO

CONTACT: Erica McClanahan Stone of the USO, +1-703-908-6471, estone@uso.org

Web site: http://www.uso.org/

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