Country music has lost one of its most beloved figures, Toby Keith, who has passed away at the age of 62 after a brave battle with stomach cancer. The news of his passing was announced on his official Facebook page on Monday night, stating that he was surrounded by his family during his final moments.
— Toby Keith (@tobykeith) February 6, 2024
Keith, an iconic figure in the country music scene, was diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2021. He publicly shared his health struggles in June 2022, revealing that he was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and had undergone surgery. Despite his illness, Keith maintained an optimistic outlook, vowing to “breathe, recover and relax.”
5 days ago, Toby released this video on his YouTube channel, Toby Talks About His First Attempt at Songwriting:
His illustrious career spanned over three decades, during which he released 24 studio and compilation albums, two Christmas records, and generated over $40 million in worldwide music sales. Keith’s songs often topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, with 20 tracks reaching number one and 22 others landing in the top ten. His most popular hits include “Who’s Your Daddy?,” “Made In America,” “Should Have Been A Cowboy,” “As Good As I Once Was,” and the 2005 duet with Willie Nelson, “Beer for My Horses.”
He released his debut album in 1993 and is known for hits including “Red Solo Cup” and “I Wanna Talk About Me.”
Born in Oklahoma, Keith’s journey to stardom was far from easy. Before landing his first record deal in 1993, he worked as a rodeo hand and a roughneck, and even played semi-professional football.
He spent a couple seasons as a defensive end for the Oklahoma City Drillers, a farm team for the now-defunct United States Football League. But he found consistent money playing music with his band throughout the red dirt roadhouse circuit in Oklahoma and Texas.
His relentless work ethic was evident throughout his life, as he once told former TV news anchor Dan Rather, “I didn’t take many vacations the first 20 years of my adult life, because my head was on the line,” he explains. “When I came out and my song hit, I was doing 28, 29 shows a month because I didn’t know I was gonna get a second hit, let alone an 85th hit. At the time I was just trying to outwork everybody.”
Keith gained widespread recognition in 2002 when he released the controversial song “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).” The song, a response to the 9/11 attacks and the death of his disabled veteran father in a car accident that same year, resonated with many Americans. Keith performed numerous shows for U.S. military officers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, and even played for three former American presidents: Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush.
Keith’s dedication to the military extended beyond his music. At his concerts, he was known to present gifts to wheelchair-bound veterans injured in combat. In 2021, then-President Trump honored Keith with the National Medal of Arts award, the highest award given to artists by the U.S. government.
Keith’s last public appearance was at the People’s Choice Country Awards 2023, where he received the Country Music Icon Award. Despite his cancer diagnosis and significant weight loss, Keith maintained his sense of humor, joking, “Bet you thought you’d never see me in skinny jeans.”
Toby Keith’s death is a significant loss to the country music industry and his legion of fans worldwide. His contributions to the genre and his unwavering support for the military will undoubtedly form a significant part of his enduring legacy.