For Immediate Release October 5, 2023
Press Release:
Toby Keith's Luck E Strike Brand Is Up And Running
Baits & Lures Shipping And Facility Acquired
New album, 100% Songwriter, To be Released November 3
Singer, Songwriter, and Entertainer's Song, "Don't Let The Old Man In" Tops the iTunes Songs and Videos Charts
Toby Keith Performs at the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards
"Don’t Let the Old Man In" is available at orcd.co/tk-dltomi
(Greenwood, Ark.) Luck E Strike – the iconic bait and tackle company acquired earlier this year by singer, songwriter, entertainer and outdoorsman Toby Keith – has turned a corner. Having fallen on hard times, the brand was almost at rock bottom. In the last few weeks, however, empty shelves are filling with American-made inventory, e-commerce is underway and its Greenwood, Ark. facility is brimming with activity.
"The wheel is starting to turn at Luck E Strike," notes GM Jeff Williams in a new video update. The company's redesigned red, white and blue logo is ensconced on its website and on new packaging. The newly purchased production facility is continuing to add employees, while working with the local chamber of commerce to deepen its community ties. And new American-made hard-bait lures are available for purchase (see list below), with more added weekly.
The brand's budding resurgence follows Toby Keith's surprise July promotional trip to ICAST – the world's largest sportfishing trade show – which laid the groundwork for the relaunch with outdoor sports media and Luck E Strike's current and future wholesale customers.
In addition to lures – the heart of the business – Luck E Strike offers a selection of apparel and other gear perfect for anglers and Toby Keith fans alike. Learn more about Luck E Strike – "An American Original since 1970" – at www.luckestrike.com.
“Lucky E Strike has a lot of history," Keith says. "It's one of the earliest fishing brands that is universally stocked in national retailers. We have been working on a new focus and vision. It has been exciting to get things back at the level it deserves."
After an 18-month break from touring to focus on his health, the multi-platinum Songwriters Hall of Famer is focused on a return to touring. On Sept. 28, he was honored for his decades-long career as being a pioneer in country music and one of the most influential artists of all time, as the Country Icon at the People's Choice Country Awards. The groundbreaking musician, humanitarian, and entrepreneur performed his song, “Don’t Let The Old Man In," on the live telecast of the awards.
E! News noted that "there wasn't a dry eye in the room."
Billboard ranked it as the “most impactful performance of the evening,” saying “Art reflecting life, his unvarnished singing of lyrics such as 'Many moons I have lived/ My body’s weathered and worn' made the moment potent and even harrowing, though his voice as warm, strong and nuanced as ever.”
On the red carpet, he told NBC's Backstage Live that he chose that specific song to sing “well, mainly because I’ve been going through my cancer fight for the last couple of years and it’s really inspiring for a lot of people. And coming back on TV for the first time and performing live in front of a live audience, I thought it was fitting.”
Parade noted that it was an “extremely emotional performance,” which Newsweek hailed as Keith's “triumphant return to the stage."
This follows two pop-up shows in his Oklahoma hometown of Norman, where he performed for hours. He also recently hosted his annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic, which raised a record $1.8 million for the families of children battling cancer in the Oklahoma City area.
And on November 3, he will release the album 100% Songwriter, a selection of 13 of many of his most iconic solo-written songs collected in one package. Arguably one of the most successful self-directed recording artists of any era, Keith has had many hits with a wide array of co-writers and a handful from outside writers. Perhaps most impressive is how many of his most iconic songs he wrote by himself, which puts him in league with performing songwriters including Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. Pre-orders for Toby Keith’s 100% Songwriter now available at TobyKeith.lnk.to/songwriter
Newly available on the Luck E Strike website are:
- Redman Spinner Bait
- Scrounger Jighead
- STX Jerkbait
- Square Bill Crankbait
- Trout Worm
- Luck E Bug
- Swim N Minnow
- Tri Color Crappie Tube