Toby Keith Top-Earning Country Music Star

5/27/2008 Patricia Montesinos Recording artist Toby Keith is Country Music's big dog when it comes to money-making entertainers.  The Country Music star earned Forbes’ No.1 spot among top-earning Country Music singers, raking in $48 million over the past year. Though Keith’s tour was No.4 among top-grossing Country Music tours in 2007, Forbes attributes his wealth to Keith writing his own lyrics, owning his own label, Show Dogs Records, and his successful chain of restaurants, I Love This Bar and Grill.  Recent ACM award winning group Rascal Flatts came in at No.2, earning $40 million, Tim McGraw at No.3 with $23 million, and Kenny Chensey coming close behind his partner in crime with $22 million. Brooks & Dunn rounded up the top-five earning Country Music celebrities with $20 million. Forbes put funny man Brad Paisley at No.6, while Faith Hill and Keith Urban both earned $12 million and tied for seventh place. The two also share superstar spouses, with Urban expecting his first child in July with wife, Nicole Kidman.  Old-timer George Strait is still giving the spring chickens of the Country Music industry a run for their money, earning $11 million and the No. 8 spot.  Alan Jackson earned $10 milion and the No.9 slot. According to their website, Forbes looked at artists' gross concert, album, and merchandise sales, as well as any income from endorsement and licensing deals over the past year.