Toby Keith Bringing Locked and Loaded Tour to BayFest

Mar 24th, 2011

BayFest, Inc. announced today that Toby Keith will bring his Locked and Loaded Tour to Mobile with Eric Church for BayFest 2011. Toby Keith is nominated for ACM Entertainer of the Year and Church is nominated for New Artist of the Year.

Toby Keith will perform on the AT&T/Saad Healthcare Stage on Sunday, October 9. From his first single and No. 1 smash "Should've Been A Cowboy" to his latest album and Billboard Top 200 chart-topper Bullets In The Gun, Toby Keith has been one of the most consistent self-directed hit makers of his era. He's now in his 18th consecutive year having had a #1 single every year since his first release. And Bullets' title track is currently racing up the charts. In the history of
recorded music, artists exhibiting that kind of consistency and longevity are in an exclusive club. Keith, however, may be in a class by himself.

At the core of Toby's unparalleled success is his songwriting, which has powered an astounding succession of hit songs. He has been the principle creative force behind songs that have competed and won at the highest levels of commercial music for nearly two decades – to the tune of 70 million-and-counting airings on commercial radio stations nationwide. He has been honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association International with its Songwriter/Artist of the Decade
distinction, and is a three-time BMI Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year. On its own, Keith's songwriting is a career beyond imagining, but it is also the foundation of a much larger entertainment presence.

His albums have sold more than 33 million copies, ranking him among the top-selling all-genre artists on Billboard's Top 200 Artists of the Decade. Keith is also Billboard's No. 1 Artist of the Decade and No. 1 Country Songwriter of the
Decade. His tours, long sponsored by Ford Trucks, have drawn more than one million fans each year for the last decade. And his roster of I Love This Bar And Grill restaurants continues to grow. These, among other endeavors, have earned Keith annual recognition from Forbes as one of the very top-earning entertainer/musicians in the world.

But Toby's most rewarding experiences, as exhibited in his continual devotion to them, come from giving back. Whether it's helping sick children and their families in his native Oklahoma through the Toby Keith Foundation or visiting
American soldiers at forward operating bases in international war zones, Keith has never lost touch with the most important things in life. Surely that perspective and work ethic contribute to his ongoing success as a singer, songwriter and entertainer.

Eric Church, also set to perform on the AT&T/Saad Healthcare stage Sunday, October 9, is a relative newcomer to the country scene, but his entry immediately enticed fans and critics alike. His debut Capitol CD in 2006, Sinners Like Me, was lauded by The Los Angeles Times, People, Rolling Stone and USA Today. Singles like “Guys Like Me,” hooked fans and stars like Brad Paisley and Bob Seger, who hired him as their opening act. Church’s sophomore release, Carolina, found success with the singles “Hell on the Heart,” “Love Your Love the Most,” and “Smoke A Little Smoke.” Church just released the new single “Homeboy” from his highly anticipated third studio album which will be released later this year. Church also performed at BayFest in 2008.

This year, BayFest transforms downtown Mobile October 7, 8 and 9. BayFest Music Festival began in Mobile in 1995 and continues to offer something for everyone with a family-friendly atmosphere and value! The BayFest Music Scholarship Program began in 2008, and has awarded $35,000 in scholarship money. The 5th Annual BayFest 5K and Fun Run will be held October 1, and proceeds raised help fund the scholarship program. For more information about BayFest, Inc. please
contact Shana Jordan at sjordan@bayfest.com or 251.478.5679.