Singer Toby Keith Stands Tall on Country Record Charts
SYDNEY: And, Jim, there's happy news for Madonna: the stork is paying her another visit.</s>MORET: The singer-actress who told us just a few weeks ago she hoped to have another baby, is going to have one with boyfriend, British movie director Guy Ritchie. She's due in the fall.</s>SYDNEY: The 41-year-old superstar has a 3-year-old daughter, Lourdes, by her former personal trainer, Carlos Leon, not to be confused with our executive producer, Scott Leon.</s>MORET: No, no, no, no. Laurin, in the parlance of country music.</s>SYDNEY: I like that word -- parlance.</s>MORET: Toby Keith is a tall drink of water, wouldn't you say?</s>SYDNEY: Want to do that over?</s>MORET: No, no, I was thinking of Scott Leon and...</s>SYDNEY: Actually, he stands 6'4" -- not Scott -- and he looks large on the charts with his single "How Do You Like Me Now."</s>MORET: Paul Vercammen talked with the athletic singer who's at home on a football field or a baseball diamond.</s>TOBY KEITH, COUNTRY SINGER: That feeling you get when every dreamer's dream comes true and you can stand up at the top of your lungs and yell, how do you like me now, you know?</s>PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Toby Keith stands 6'4" tall, swings with his boots on, and has connected with the number-one single on the country record charts three straight weeks, "How Do You Like Me Now."</s>KEITH: When I first wrote it, they were so afraid that it was going to be dissing women so bad that they might not play it. The women that I first played it for said it was so sassy -- the girls said, hey, it's so sassy that we love it.</s>VERCAMMEN: Keith played the song for a "Dukes of Hazard" TV movie that will air in May. Keith is an ex-jock, horse-raising veteran of country music, self-described plowboy, farmboy, cowboy.</s>KEITH: You can call me whatever you want to call me.</s>VERCAMMEN (on camera): All right, hillbilly.</s>KEITH: A hillbilly.</s>VERCAMMEN: Redneck.</s>KEITH: Redneck.</s>VERCAMMEN: All of it.</s>KEITH: All of the above.</s>VERCAMMEN: OK.</s>KEITH: Gray-eyed, ghost, cracker -- whatever you want to call me.</s>VERCAMMEN (voice-over): You can also call Keith a nominee for "Top Male Vocalist" and for "Music Video" for the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards.</s>KEITH: I'm now out and spending Mr. Spielberg's money.</s>VERCAMMEN: Steven Spielberg co-owns Keith's new record label, Dreamworks.</s>KEITH: There was an artist the other day in Nashville, Mark Chestnut, that went in to cut his new album and his producer told me he couldn't sing in the studio because he was so hoarse from catching -- he was fishing that day on a boat, and every time he'd catch one, he'd yell -- how do you like me now! And he got him hoarse and he went in the studio that night and couldn't sing.</s>VERCAMMEN: That catchy, hit metaphor is almost impossible to miss for Keith. Well, sort of. Paul Vercammen, CNN Entertainment News, Hollywood.</s>SYDNEY: Well, it's been a ball, but, Jim, it is time for us to ride on out of here today.</s>MORET: You ride on, mosey. We'll see you next time. Thanks for watching.</s>SYDNEY: So long. Search CNN.com CNNSI.com CNNmoney.com The Web