Toby Keith Holds Surprise Concert For Oklahoma Volunteers

Oklahoma's Own Toby Keith serenaded a special group in Norman on Tuesday night. It was a surprise concert to recognize volunteers in the community.

“Well, I thought, what am I going to wear,” said Dot Adkins, who got one of the limited concert tickets.

Adkins and her husband, Don, were VIPs at the concert. They were invited for their work with the homeless, hospitals and schools.

“What we are trying to promote is volunteerism and we are excited to see so many people that volunteer,” Dot said.

The Adkins were some of a few hundred guests invited out for the concert, put on by State Farm “Neighborhood Sessions”. It is a program that offers the biggest names in music a chance to give back to their communities with a local party.

“Oh I'm here to support Toby Keith, he's amazing, he gives back to this community,” said Sheri Bookout.

However, keeping the location secret from the guests was hard to do.

“The registration and getting on the bus, everyone was trying to figure out what are we doing, what does this mean, so it was exciting to walk out and see this,” said Talor Reazin.

Toby Keith chose to have the private concert at Hollywood Corners, a 1920s gas station he recently bought and remodeled into a deli. He wanted to keep everything local for the surprise concert, just like the special guests he invited.

“When I found out it was him, that's what surprised me even more,” said concert goer Walter Reif.  “I thought, ‘Gosh, these people must be coming in from all over the country,’ but from what I can see, they are all locals,” Reif added.

Keith performed a dozen songs, including the new hit “35 Mile Per Hour Town,” and repeatedly thanked the volunteers for helping their own 35-mile-per-hour towns.

“If you really want to feel good every day, find some place where, a school that you can read to first or second graders,” said volunteer Don Adkins.

A production team filmed the concert and will air it in a documentary on TBS in October. The exact date has not been released.