Country superstar Toby Keith took about 11 tours performing for overseas military service members, and one Norman resident remembers Keith’s acts of service.
“Just a good guy [Keith]. I’ve got good memories,” said John Mayfield, who saw Toby Keith perform at a military base in Afghanistan.
Mayfield is now a retiree who lives on a acreage in East Norman.
Keith had flown into Mayfield’s base at FOB Maiwand in the early 2000s as part of one of his many tours to play for U.S. military members.
“It shows you how nice of a man he is for going out there [to Maiwand], which, you know, that was back during the heart of the war in Afghanistan,” Mayfield said.
After the concert, Mayfield said Keith stuck around and conversed with those stationed at the base and signed autographs. Mayfield along with two other Okies were able to snag a photo with Keith as well.
That picture now hangs in Keith’s restaurant, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill in Oklahoma City.
Mayfield said he immediately connected with Keith over wildfire issues that were happening in Oklahoma at the time, and Keith even agreed to call his wife to tell her that Mayfield was doing OK in Afghanistan, as the phone service there was lacking.
He continued by saying he was worried that Keith would instead encounter his mother-in-law on the phone who was hard of hearing and had a tendency to hang up on people.
Mayfield was able to reminisce about the experience with Keith about a year and a half ago when he met him again at one of Keith’s performances at Hollywood Corners.
He said Keith laughed after telling him about his worries about his mother-in-law.
Mayfield said the experience showed him what a “good guy” Keith was and how his personality was just like a “friend.”
He added that Keith’s music is also what has helped keep people connected through patriotic values in Oklahoma and the United States.
“We have lost so much in this country, people don’t realize what it took to keep our freedom, but he does. A lot of people that listen to Toby’s music understand that there’s a price that you have to pay for freedom,” he said.
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