You probably won't remember it next year, but Aug. 14 is officially Toby Keith Day in Illinois.
Why? Because Gov. Pat Quinn made the proclamation Wednesday as the country singer headlined the Illinois State Fair.
Keith isn't from Illinois and doesn't have roots here, but Quinn's proclamation notes, "Illinois is a leader in supporting the arts, and has always been an important component of the artistic fabric of our state."
It also states country music is one of the few forms of music that are "purely American" and Illinois is a "leader in supporting the arts."
Turns out Keith also is a leader in performance pay grade.
According to the Associated Press he was one of three top acts at this year's state fair that made $300,000 for his performance. John Mayer and Journey also took home that amount along with a share of gross box office dollars from their shows.
If you're curious, Ke$ha made $200,000 and Styx got more than $73,000.
As for why Keith got his own Illinois day over Ke$ha, Quinn said Keith's day is "in recognition of his tremendous musical success and contributions to the country music genre and industry."
