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Country Singer Toby Keith Dies at 62 After Battling Stomach Cancer, Family Confirms
We’re raising a “Red Solo Cup” to Toby Keith. The country music singer died at the age of 62 on Monday, February 5, 2024. His family confirmed the sad news the following day.
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family” a statement posted to his official Instagram account revealed. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Toby had been battling stomach cancer. He announced his diagnosis in June 2022 after privately fighting the disease and receiving treatments for several months. In September 2023, the “I Love This Bar” singer attended the People’s Choice Country Awards, where he confirmed that he felt “good,” but admitted to still struggling sometimes.
“You get good days and, you know, you’re up and down, up and down,” he explained. “It’s always zero to 60 and 60 to zero but I feel good today.” He received the Country Icon Award at the ceremony and appeared in good spirits as he walked the red carpet and then accepted the honor.
In a November 2022 interview, Toby opened up about his cancer battle for the first time. He admitted that going through chemotherapy and radiation was “pretty debilitating.” That same month, he also surprised fans by performing at a restaurant in Kentucky.
The country legend made another public appearance in June 2023 when he hosted his Toby Keith and Friends Golf Tournament. At the time, he said he was seeing a “real positive trend” in his recovery. He also confirmed that he was beginning to think about getting his band back together for a possible tour, as he said he had “more wind” than in previous months.
As recently as December 2023, Toby was still hitting the stage and performing. He gave three live shows in Las Vegas amid the holiday season, performing dozens of his hits. Toby even released an album called “100% Songwriter” in November 2023, compiling several of his solo-written songs in one place.
Toby married his wife, Tricia Lucus, in 1984. They shared daughters Shelley, 43, whom Toby adopted in 1984, and Krystal, 38, and son Stelen, 26. He’s also survived by four grandchildren.
Toby burst onto the country music scene in the early 1990s and has had dozens of top 10 singles. Some of his biggest songs include “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “How Do You Like Me Now?”, “Whiskey Girl” and “As Good as I Once Was.”
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