Released 18 Years Ago Today, a Country Superstar Turned His No. 1 Hit Into a Feature Film With Willie Nelson

Before he passed from stomach cancer in February 2024 at age 62, Toby Keith was among the most successful country stars of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Throughout his three-decade career, he released 42 top 10 hits—33 of which reached number one. Keith was also a prolific songwriter, penning hits like his own “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” and “Red Solo Cup”.

On this day (August 8), he added “screenwriter” to his resume when the film “Beer for My Horses” hit theaters.

The Film Is Based on Toby Keith’s 2003 Duet With Willie Nelson

In addition to co-producing the film, Keith also co-wrote and starred in “Beer for My Horses” alongside comedian and country singer Rodney Carrington.

Taking its name from Toby Keith’s 2003 duet with Willie Nelson, “Beer for My Horses” centers on two small-town Oklahoma deputy sheriffs who find themselves battling a drug cartel

Musicians Willie Nelson, Ted Nugent, Mel Tillis, and David Allan Coe made appearances in the film, which also starred Tom Skerritt, Barry Corbin, Gina Gershon and Claire Forlani.

“Beer for My Horses” wasn’t Keith’s first acting gig. Two years earlier, he starred in the 2006 drama Broken Bridges with Burt Reynolds and Kelly Preston.

However, the movie marked both his screenwriting and producing debut. Keith’s motivation for switching industries was simple: After writing so many songs, he figured: Why not try a movie?

“It took 10 months to write. The beauty of the whole thing was watching it come to life,” he told the Associated Press. “Tom Skerritt really liked it. He said whoever wrote it knows the South. He said people don’t pay attention to the dialogue anymore.”

Where Did The Film (and Song) Get Its Title?

Just a few months before his death, Toby Keith opened up about the origins of the title “Beer for My Horses” in an October 2023 interview with Dan Rather.

“I worked for a rodeo company in high school, for a real old, elderly gentleman that bedded the stock down at night,” said the 14-time ACM Award winner. “We were kids, 12, 13, 15 years old, and he kept a pint of Old Crow whiskey in his back pocket. And every night, when we’d get the stock bedded down, he would say, ‘You boys wanna drink off of my bottle?’”

While Keith and his coworkers didn’t always partake, he always remembered the man’s words whenever they did.

“He would hold it up and go, ‘Turn out the lights. Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses,’” Keith said. “So I just put that in my back pocket, saved it. I thought it was comical. I thought it was profound.”

Willie Nelson thought so, too. Keith wrote “Beer for My Horses” with the country music statesman in mind.

[RELATED: One of Toby Keith’s Most Iconic Songs Just Broke a Career Record Thanks to America’s Birthday]

When he asked Nelson to sing on it, the older artist wanted Keith to send him the song first—until he heard the title.

“He goes, ‘What’s the name of it?’” Keith said. “And I said, ‘It’s called ‘Beer for My Horses.’ It’s ‘Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses.’ And he said, ‘I don’t even need to hear it. I’m in.’”

Featured image by M. Caulfield/WireImage

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