Father of country music singer Toby Keith. Also survived by wife Carolyn Joan Ross Covel, son Tracy and daughter Tonni.
He was 67 years old. Cause of death: traffic accident.
Singer Toby Keith's father dies in collision with bus
Celie Rabalais
NORMAN - Hubert "H.K." Covel Jr., father of country-western singer Toby Keith, never made it home from a childhood friend's barbecue in Lindsay on Saturday.
His pickup crossed a median on Interstate 35 south of Norman and struck a tour bus. Covel, 67, of Moore, died at the scene from head and internal injuries.
Keith was out of town but returned home to Norman when he received word of his father's death. He canceled scheduled shows but said Sunday tour dates next month should not be affected.
Keith said his father had a quadruple bypass two years ago but seemed to be doing fine.
"I hate to speculate, but I think he had a stroke," Keith said. "It was early part of the afternoon, time for him to cat around.
"Something happened to get him over the median. He was only going 35 mph. He was too good a driver."
Keith said his father liked to attend his shows when he played rodeos.
"(He) loved to go on the buses or fly out and hang with all the guys. He had a lot of friends. He was very loyal to friends and expected friends to be loyal to him," Keith said.
Keith, who has a horse ranch near Norman, said Covel was not actively involved in his music career.
"He liked to work a lot on my ranch, overseeing the horses," Keith said.
"He loved to watch the horses run."
Covel served overseas in the military before returning home to marry Carolyn Ross in June 1960. He worked the next 35 years in the oil field business.
After retiring, he became active in the Masonic Lodge and in his church, Calvary Freewill Baptist Church in Norman.
"He was tremendously proud of his work with the lodge and church," Keith said.
Covel is survived by his wife, Carolyn, two sons, Toby Keith (Covel), of Norman, and Tracy K. Covel, of Titusville, Fla., and a daughter, Tonni Karan Covel-Moore, of Yukon.
Covel had five grandchildren, Shelly Lashon Covel, Krystal Ladawn Covel, Casey Lynn Covel, Amie Nicole Covel and Stelen Keith Covel.
Services for Covel will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Calvary Freewill Baptist Church in Norman.
CONTRIBUTING: Staff writer Robyn Lydick
Archive ID: 844207
Father of country music singer Toby Keith. Also survived by wife Carolyn Joan Ross Covel, son Tracy and daughter Tonni.
He was 67 years old. Cause of death: traffic accident.
Singer Toby Keith's father dies in collision with bus
Celie Rabalais
NORMAN - Hubert "H.K." Covel Jr., father of country-western singer Toby Keith, never made it home from a childhood friend's barbecue in Lindsay on Saturday.
His pickup crossed a median on Interstate 35 south of Norman and struck a tour bus. Covel, 67, of Moore, died at the scene from head and internal injuries.
Keith was out of town but returned home to Norman when he received word of his father's death. He canceled scheduled shows but said Sunday tour dates next month should not be affected.
Keith said his father had a quadruple bypass two years ago but seemed to be doing fine.
"I hate to speculate, but I think he had a stroke," Keith said. "It was early part of the afternoon, time for him to cat around.
"Something happened to get him over the median. He was only going 35 mph. He was too good a driver."
Keith said his father liked to attend his shows when he played rodeos.
"(He) loved to go on the buses or fly out and hang with all the guys. He had a lot of friends. He was very loyal to friends and expected friends to be loyal to him," Keith said.
Keith, who has a horse ranch near Norman, said Covel was not actively involved in his music career.
"He liked to work a lot on my ranch, overseeing the horses," Keith said.
"He loved to watch the horses run."
Covel served overseas in the military before returning home to marry Carolyn Ross in June 1960. He worked the next 35 years in the oil field business.
After retiring, he became active in the Masonic Lodge and in his church, Calvary Freewill Baptist Church in Norman.
"He was tremendously proud of his work with the lodge and church," Keith said.
Covel is survived by his wife, Carolyn, two sons, Toby Keith (Covel), of Norman, and Tracy K. Covel, of Titusville, Fla., and a daughter, Tonni Karan Covel-Moore, of Yukon.
Covel had five grandchildren, Shelly Lashon Covel, Krystal Ladawn Covel, Casey Lynn Covel, Amie Nicole Covel and Stelen Keith Covel.
Services for Covel will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Calvary Freewill Baptist Church in Norman.
CONTRIBUTING: Staff writer Robyn Lydick
Archive ID: 844207
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