Remembering Joey Floyd: A Tribute to the Late Easy Money Band Member
Country music icon Toby Keith passed away two years ago at the age of 62 after battling stomach cancer. Before achieving fame with hits like “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” Keith formed the Easy Money Band while working in the oil fields in Oklahoma. In 1997, his friend Joey Floyd joined the band, showcasing his musical talents on various instruments and providing backup vocals. Sadly, on February 14, 2016, Floyd passed away at the age of 47 after a long fight with cancer.
Following Joey Floyd’s death, Toby Keith took to social media to pay tribute to his longtime bandmate, acknowledging the void left by his absence. Born in Arlington, Texas, in 1968, Joey Michael Floyd showed musical promise from a young age, learning to play guitar with his grandfather and later auditioning for the Grapevine Opry at just five years old. His early involvement in music led to a close friendship with Willie Nelson, with whom he toured for two years alongside his sister Jill.
Floyd and Jill went on to become regular performers on Johnnie High’s Country Music Revue and attended Texas Christian University, where they formed their band, Eldorado. They played at notable events like Farm Aid and Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July picnic. Tragically, Joey Floyd’s passing marked the second loss within the Easy Money Band in a short span, as bass player Carl “Chuck” Goff had died in a car accident in Oklahoma in 2013 at the age of 54.