Though a big portion of Toby Keith‘s career was built on headlining the perks of cowboy life, he will always be fondly remembered for his anthems where he proudly acknowledged the members of the armed forces for their services and the sacrifices they bravely made in the line of duty. His unabashed admiration for the military often made many wonder whether the country singer himself was part of the fleet in the past. Well, was he?

It is not a rarity for singers to have served in the military in the past — George Strait, John Prine, Craig Morgan, Johnny Cash, and many more were all veterans of the U.S. armed forces. But unlike these country singers, the celebrated singer-songwriter — who passed away at the age of 62 after battling stomach cancer for years — was never in the military. So, what fueled the visible respect he held for those who served in the armed forces?

Toby Keith never served in the military, but he grew up as the son of an Army veteran

Keith’s perception of the military was established a long time ago, when he was just a kid, thanks to his father, Hubert Keith Covel Jr., who served overseas in the military and was the one who informed his son about the role service members play in protecting the country.

“It’s that respect and the thank-you that we have a military that’s in place and ready to defend our nation, our freedom,” he shared with the American Forces Press Service in 2009. Perhaps the most obvious aspect of the regard the military held in Keith’s life was the fact that he made his name as an avid USO supporter — he performed across 17 nations for 250,000 troops in just two decades.

“Toby’s commitment to supporting the people serving in our nation’s military and their families around the world made him a beloved figure within the military community,” said USO CEO & President J.D. Crouch as the organization honored the late country music icon.

In fact, his reverence for the military even got him into trouble plus kickstarted his feud with Dixie Chicks frontwoman Natalie Maines over his controversial 9/11 anthem that lasted years. But Keith, whether he was right or not, never got hung up on not getting universal support. As he shared in a brief chat with Time back in 2004, he was not at all hung up on the fact that many people pegged him as a “redneck patriot.”

ncG1vNJzZmivlZy8tcDHoqqcp6aav6awjZympmeTmrmmrtGiq6Kdo2SxqrCMraabsV2gsqrAx2aqnqqmmnqquoytn55lnZ65qsDAq7Bo