Beloved country singer-songwriter Toby Keith has died at 62 after battling stomach cancer, his website confirmed.
A statement on his Facebook page said:
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family.”
“He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
RIP to one of the most patriotic and fearless country singers there was…
— SixPack™️ (@starkrob21) February 6, 2024
Toby Keith July 8,1961-Feb 5, 2024 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/H9AzL8nFEn
Keith leaves behind his wife and three children.
The singer’s cancer diagnosis was revealed on social media in June of 2022.
At the time, Keith said he had spent spent six months undergoing chemotherapy.
He told FOX News in September of 2023 that “I lean on my faith.”
“I just pray and lean into it,” Keith told the outlet. “It was my rock.”
“You get good days and, you know, you’re up and down. … It’s always zero to 60 and 60 to zero, but I feel good today,” he said.
Keith was a somewhat polarizing figure in country music who became known for his pro-American swagger.
He also had a string of hits, including “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” and “Red Solo Cup.”
The Hill reported:
The 6-foot-4 “Beer For My Horses” singer-songwriter broke out in the country boom years of the 1990s, writing songs that fans loved to hear. Over his career, he publicly clashed with other celebrities and journalists and often pushed back against record executives who wanted to smooth his rough edges.
Keith was known for his overt patriotism on post 9/11 songs like “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” and other tunes like “I Love This Bar” and “Red Solo Cup.”
His 20 No. 1 Billboard hits included:
“How Do You Like Me Now?!”
“Should’ve Been a Cowboy”
“As Good As I Once Was”
“My List”
“Beer for My Horses,” a duet with Willie Nelson
In his younger years, Keith worked as a roughneck in the oil fields of Oklahoma before playing semi-pro football prior to his music career.
“I write about life, and I sing about life, and I don’t overanalyze things,” Keith told The Associated Press in 2001.
He was also a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and accepted the inaugural Country Music Icon award at the People’s Choice Country Awards in Nashville last year.
The singer also launched the Toby Keith Foundation in 2026, which helped efforts around no-cost housing for children with cancer.
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