Toby Keith Entertains Troops in the Balkans, Europe and the Persian Gulf.

WASHINGTON, May 27 /PRNewswire/ - Country music superstar and the big winner at last night's Academy of Country Music awards ceremony, Toby Keith is set to embark on a whirlwind USO tour to Italy, Germany, Kosovo and the Persian Gulf. Once there, two-time consecutive winner of the "Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year" will perform free shows, "meet and greet" service men and women, tour a variety of job bases and provide a break from the daily grind for the troops.

A strong supporter of our troops, the native Oklahoman traveled to Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia on a 2002 USO tour. This time, Keith is bringing along a special guest, rocker Ted Nugent, for troops stationed far from home. Keith's devotion becomes even clearer when listening to some of his latest tracks including one of his most recent singles "American Soldier," which chronicles the trials and tribulations of members of the armed forces.

With a passion for music from a young age, the former semi-professional football player spent his young adulthood as the lead singer for the Easy Money Band. The group played local honky-tonks and bars, and the hard work paid off. In 1993, the singer/songwriter/producer released his self-titled debut album. The double platinum record enjoyed three #1 songs including "A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action," "Should've Been a Cowboy" and "Wish I Didn't Know Now."

Over the next decade, Keith wrote many hit songs and released several more albums. Selling more than 20 million records, he toured the world bringing his down-home blend of country to a devoted fan base. Also during this time, he was showered with numerous awards and accolades including honors from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association and the American Music Awards. His most popular album to date, the quadruple platinum "Unleashed," contained the #1 singles "Who's Your Daddy," "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" and "Beer For My Horses" (a duet with singer/songwriter Willie Nelson).

His latest effort, "Shock'n Y'all," was released in November 2003 and debuted at the top of both country and pop charts. The triple platinum album also includes the #1 smash hit "I Love This Bar" and current Top-5 single "Whiskey Girl."

For 63 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has brought a touch of home to America's military personnel. The USO is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit organization and is not a government agency. The USO is supported by World Partners Amazon.com, Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, BAE SYSTEMS, Bass Pro Shops, Clear Channel Worldwide, Coca-Cola, ESPN, Lockheed Martin, Lowe's, Morgan Stanley, Northwest Airlines, Ray-Ban, Sara Lee, S & K Sales Company, TRUEBeginnings.com, Ty Inc., USAA Foundation and The Walt Disney Company. Other corporate donors, including Walgreens and the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-0600), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at www.uso.org.