Toby McKeehan, a.k.a. TobyMac, will love his fallen son til' the day he dies.
Love broke thu when the Christian rapper/songwriter married his wife Amanda in 1994. The couple started a family, welcoming their first son, Truett in 1998, and four more children after. In 2002, the couple adopted twins Moses and Marlee at birth, then welcomed Leo in 2004 and Judah in 2006. God truly blessed them.
But the McKeehan family was tested when Truett, who was all set to follow in his famous father's footsteps in the music business, suddenly passed away in 2019. TobyMac and his wife had to do what no parents should have to do; bury their son. They entered the healing process after that, but they knew God was on their side through it all.
Since losing Truett, TobyMac seems to be coming out of the other end of the tunnel a new person, a new father, and certainly a new artist. He used his music to heal, but the wound will always be there, just like the memory of Truett. Here's how the inspirational singer coped with the death of his son.
Who Is TobyMac?
TobyMac began his music career when he formed DC Talk in 1987. They released their self-titled debut album in 1989, and five others until the group disbanded, and TobyMac embarked on a solo career.
TobyMac's debut solo album was 2001's Momentum. He then released his second, 2004's Welcome to Diverse City, his third, 2007's Portable Sounds, and his fourth, 2010's Tonight. After that, he released 2012's Eye on It, 2015's This Is Not a Test, and his seventh and final studio album, 2018's The Elements.
Overall, he's had 20 solo singles on Billboard's Christian Songs list and became the third Christian artist to have a No. 1 debut on Billboard 200 chart with his album Eye on It. He's sold over 10 million records and has seven Grammys.
With all of these achievements, you'd think TobyMac would be starting to slow down, now that he's almost 60, but it's quite the opposite. He's just getting started, still touring and recording like he's in his '20s.
Who Is TobyMac's Son, Truett?
From a very early age, it was pretty clear to Truett what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to be just like his father.
By the time he was six, he was guest-starring on TobyMac's albums. He made his musical debut on his father's 2004 album, Welcome to Diverse City, and later appeared on most of TobyMac's albums under the name truDog. Under the name TRU, he recorded a song on This is Not a Test.
In the last couple of years of his life, Truett had started to enter into his own successful music career. He was an aspiring rapper just like his dad, penned his own songs, and produced everything he recorded.
When he turned 21, he wanted to start a solo career under the name Truett Foster. Before his death, he released his self-produced single, "Eyes," in June 2019.
How Did Truett Pass Away?
Sadly, Truett was found dead, at the age of 21, in his Nashville home on October 23, 2019. According to Davidson County autopsy and toxicology results, he died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl and amphetamines. He also had Adderall and marijuana in his system at the time of death.
Meanwhile, his father was on a week-long Canadian tour, which was cut short following the news. The family released a statement soon after and said Truett "had joy that took the room when he entered.
"He was a magnetic son and brother and friend. If you met him you knew him, you remembered him. His smile, his laugh, the encouragement he offered with words or even without. He had an untamable grand personality and dreams to match. And he hated being put in a box.
"He expressed himself through the music he made. And by made I mean, written, recorded, produced, mixed, and designed the art. All of it. A true artist. His first show was a week ago, and it was nothing short of electric. Everyone felt it, everyone knew it. He could’ve easily taken the easy route and put music out when he was 12, 14, 16, even 18, but he always said he wanted to live some life and have something to say before he did it. He didn’t want to be a child star, he wanted to be a man with scars and a story to tell. I always admired, respected and encouraged that stand."
TobyMac went on to explain the special relationship that Truett had with God and his family. In fact, the very last time he saw his son was at Truett's first show, and no one in the audience was more proud than TobyMac.
What Did TobyMac Do To Cope With His Son's Death?
The best thing TobyMac could have done, following the death of Truett, was to be around family. But if we know anything about the singer, he didn't wallow in his grief; he used it and Truett's memory to create something that could heal his soul.
In January 2020, TobyMac released "21 Years" as a tribute to his son. He said the song provided "an honest confession of the questions, pain, anger, doubt, mercy and promise that describes the journey I’m probably only beginning."
"The last couple of months have been the hardest I’ve ever faced," TobyMac wrote on Instagram in announcing the song. "Thank you for the love and support. Part of my process has always been to write about the things I’m going through, but this went to a whole new level. What started out as getting some of my thoughts and feelings about losing my firstborn son down on paper, ended up a song. "21 Years" is a song I never wanted to write. I hope it’s for someone out there, or maybe it’s just for me."
Later, TobyMac and his family launched the Truett Foster Foundation, "an organization raising college scholarship funds for underserved youth" to help them "realize their God-given potential to change the lives of others."
A Tribute To His Son
Just before the pandemic, TobyMac paid tribute to his son on stage in Milwaukee. Before any music started up, he walked on stage and said, "The last four months of my life have been the hardest and darkest months I've ever lived.
"Thank you for your cards, letters, your kind social media posts that have encouraged us, but mostly I want to say thank you for your prayers," he continued. "Me and my family are really grateful to you."
But even then, TobyMac didn't break down; he wouldn't let his own sadness get in the way of him giving a great performance. He did it for Truett.
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