Despite her father's instant country music stardom, Krystal Keith led a remarkably ordinary upbringing, keeping her dad's identity a secret from curious classmates and proudly sharing his "plumber" profession.
Growing up in the Keith household was a world away from the glitz and glamor of country music stardom. Krystal Keith, the daughter of the late Toby Keith, remembers an incredibly normal childhood, despite her father's massive success.
Toby Keith achieved instant fame with his 1993 breakout hit, "Should've Been a Cowboy." But for Krystal, her dad was just a regular guy with a 9-to-5 job.
Growing Up with Toby Keith: A 'Plumber' Daughter's Incredibly Normal Childhood
"I think I thought everybody's dad had a job like my dad ... he might as well have been a plumber," Krystal exclusively told Fox News Digital. "In fact, that's what I told people he did. Later on in life, when people would find out who he was, and then they would come ask me a question I knew they knew the answer, they'd be like, ‘What does your dad do for a living?’ I'd be like, 'He's a plumber.'"
Krystal's friends would often ask in disbelief, so she had a backup plan: "My second favorite thing was to say Garth Brooks, because they were already, like, they knew he was a singer," she said. "They were expecting Toby Keith, and I'd be like, 'My dad's Garth Brooks!'"
Growing Up with Toby Keith: A 'Plumber' Daughter's Incredibly Normal Childhood
Despite Toby's fame, Krystal's childhood remained unchanged.
"We had an incredibly normal childhood, so it wasn't like our lives changed drastically," she said. "It was just, the things we were able to afford became a little bit different. My mom wasn't stressing about, you know, where the light bill was getting paid. I mean, that was something we never knew anything about from the time we lived in a trailer."
Growing Up with Toby Keith: A 'Plumber' Daughter's Incredibly Normal Childhood
"We could have been rich then. I didn't know the difference. We never wanted for anything … we always had everything we needed," she added.
As Krystal grew older, she began to notice the subtle differences in her family's lifestyle.
Growing Up with Toby Keith: A 'Plumber' Daughter's Incredibly Normal Childhood
"We had a gradual shift in our lifestyle by being able to travel and participate in our father's shows simply because we could afford more access," she said. "He stayed the same throughout. It was really just the people around us changed and the way they treated us and the way they talked to us about him changed."
When Krystal pursued her own career in music, Toby offered his guidance and support.
Growing Up with Toby Keith: A 'Plumber' Daughter's Incredibly Normal Childhood
"He never said, 'Don't do this or don't do that.' He was like, 'You can do whatever you want to do, but here's my advice on it, and you can take it or leave it,'" Krystal remembered. "And he really let me carve my own path and … he rarely was like, 'Hey, I've got this idea for you.' He just always let me come to my own ideas and lead things the way I wanted to lead them."
On Wednesday, Krystal joined a star-studded lineup in the television special "Toby Keith: American Idol" – a tribute to her late father, who passed away in February after a battle with cancer.
Growing Up with Toby Keith: A 'Plumber' Daughter's Incredibly Normal Childhood
Krystal's performance was a poignant moment, and she felt the weight of her father's legacy.
"We were handed a legacy that nobody can touch," she said. "He really just has this incredible legacy that he has left behind. Then we as a family just said, ‘Hey, this is on our shoulders. This is our duty to carry this out.’ He was really concerned with … if he didn't make it through cancer, who's going to carry this torch?"
Growing Up with Toby Keith: A 'Plumber' Daughter's Incredibly Normal Childhood
The special was a testament to Toby's enduring impact and his commitment to giving back to his community.
"It's really a special place, and we need it to continue. Our community needs it. Kids from across the nation come to be treated. It's an incredible hospital. It means a lot to our whole family," Krystal said of her father's charity, the Toby Keith Foundation.
Growing Up with Toby Keith: A 'Plumber' Daughter's Incredibly Normal Childhood
Krystal and her siblings are now carrying on their father's legacy, ensuring that his music and charitable work continue to inspire and uplift others.
"We're just really proud of our dad. He instilled the best values in us and he taught us how to be the best we can be," Krystal said. "We are forever grateful for the life he gave us and the love he showed us every single day."
Growing Up with Toby Keith: A 'Plumber' Daughter's Incredibly Normal Childhood
