Toby Keith’s son welcomes first baby more than a year after singer’s death at 62
Toby Keith’s family is growing by one more than 18 months after the singer’s death.
The country music star, best known for songs like “Red Solo Cup” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” died on Feb. 5, 2024, following a battle with stomach cancer, according to NBC News. He was 62.
On Aug. 15, Keith’s son, Stelen Keith Covel, took to Instagram to announce the birth of his first baby.
“Millie is here,” Covel’s wife, Haley, wrote in the caption of the joint post, which featured a photo of Millie Brooks Covel wrapped in a swaddle next to a piece of fabric with her name and initials on it.
“We love you so much little girl,” Haley added in the caption.
Covel is the youngest child and only son of Keith and his wife Tricia Lucus, who were married for nearly 40 years.
The couple tied the knot in 1984, at which point Keith adopted Lucus’ daughter Shelley Covel Rowland, now 44, according to People.
They went on to welcome their first baby together — daughter Krystal Keith, 39 — in 1985 followed by their lone son, Stelen Keith Covel, in 1997.
Toby Keith’s death was announced Feb. 6, 2024, in a post shared on his website and X account.
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5, surrounded by his family,” the statement read. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
The “I Love This Bar” singer announced in 2022 that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer the year prior, according to NPR.
With the birth of baby Millie, Toby Keith’s kids now each have at least one child of their own.
According to People, Keith’s adopted daughter Shelley, born in 1980, shares at least one child with her husband.
Meanwhile, his biological daughter Krystal — a talented singer herself — shares two daughters, Kirby and Hensley, with her husband, per NBC News.
In 2023, Keith took to Instagram to share a photo of his family as they celebrated Thanksgiving together.
As for Stelen Keith Covel, he and his wife, Haley, announced their pregnancy on Feb. 13 — one week after the one-year anniversary of his father’s death.
“Baby Covel coming this summer,” the couple wrote in an Instagram post. Covel’s jacket was unzipped just enough to reveal a picture of his dad on his undershirt.
This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Toby Keith’s son welcomes first baby more than a year after singer’s death at 62."
