Toby Keith was a titan. We all knew the "Big Dog Daddy" persona—the cowboy hat, the patriotism, the "Red Solo Cup" anthems. But while the world saw a country music superstar, a young man named Stelen Covel just saw a dad.
Losing a father is brutal. Losing a father who is also a global icon? That’s a whole different level of weight to carry.
Honestly, Stelen Keith Covel has spent most of his life purposefully dodging the neon lights that followed his father. He didn't pick up a guitar to chase a record deal like his sister Krystal. He didn't try to be the next big thing in Nashville. Instead, the only son of Toby and Tricia Covel carved out a path in Oklahoma that’s remarkably... normal. Well, as normal as it can be when your dad has 20 number-one hits.
Growing Up Covel
Stelen was born in 1997. By that time, Toby Keith wasn't just a singer; he was becoming a brand.
Despite the fame, the Covel household wasn't some Hollywood-style mansion of chaos. Toby was famously protective of his family's privacy. He once told People that his kids grew up with his success but weren't "hooked on that part of the business." That’s a rare thing in the celebrity world.
Stelen played football. He was a guard and defensive tackle for the Casady School in Oklahoma City. He was big, standing 6'2" and weighing 260 lbs in high school. He wasn't some delicate "artist" type; he was built like the oil field workers his father used to sing about.
He didn't head to Nashville after graduation. He stayed home. He went to the University of Oklahoma—Boomer Sooner, right?—and graduated in 2020 with a degree in Entrepreneurship and Venture Management.
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The Business of Being Stelen
If you look at Stelen's career, he’s a hustler, but in the boardroom sense.
He co-founded a concert booking company called Nostalgic Nights back in 2017. He was basically a college kid putting on shows for other college kids. Since then, he’s moved into owner/venture management. He’s got his hands in several Oklahoma-based companies.
He’s also a bit of a poker player. It’s a side hobby, but he’s actually sat at the tables in Vegas. He’s recorded some modest live earnings at the Wynn and the Venetian. It fits the personality—calculated, quiet, and competitive.
That Emotional 2024 Tribute
When Toby Keith passed away on February 5, 2024, after his long battle with stomach cancer, the world mourned a legend. Stelen mourned his coach.
His Instagram tribute was the one that really got people. He called Toby "the strongest man I have ever known."
"You were my biggest champion and the guiding light in my darkest times. The best mentor a man could ask for... I love you cowboy."
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It wasn't a PR-penned statement. It felt raw. It felt like a son who had spent the last two and a half years watching his hero fade away.
A New Chapter: Becoming a Dad
Life doesn't stop, even when you're grieving.
In late 2021, Stelen married his long-time girlfriend, Haley. It was a beautiful Las Vegas wedding where Toby actually walked Haley down the aisle. If you see the photos, Toby looks like the proudest father-in-law on the planet.
Fast forward to August 2025.
Stelen and Haley welcomed their first child, a daughter named Millie Brooks Covel. The timing is bittersweet. Millie arrived about a year and a half after Toby passed. It’s the fourth grandchild for the Covel family, and while Toby isn't here to hold her, Stelen has made it clear he's carrying those "Toby values" into his own parenting.
For the pregnancy announcement, Stelen even wore a piece of his dad’s merch, with Toby’s face peeking out from under his jacket. A little nod to the guy who started it all.
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Carrying the Legacy Without the Guitar
So, what is the takeaway here?
Stelen Covel represents the "other" side of Toby Keith. The side that wasn't about the charts or the USO tours. He’s the legacy of the man who valued a real job, a solid marriage, and a home in Oklahoma over the glitz of the coast.
He’s currently focused on:
- Raising his daughter, Millie, and continuing the family line in Norman.
- Managing his business interests and investments in Oklahoma.
- Protecting the Toby Keith Foundation, specifically the OK Kids Korral, which provides housing for pediatric cancer patients.
If you want to support what the Covel family is doing, the best move isn't just listening to "Should've Been a Cowboy" on repeat. It's looking into the Toby Keith Foundation. They do the heavy lifting for families dealing with the same kind of diagnosis that took Toby. That’s where Stelen and his sisters are putting their energy now—turning their private grief into public good.
Keep an eye on the Foundation's annual golf classics and fundraisers; that's where you'll see Stelen most active, carrying the torch his dad lit decades ago.