Photo credit:  NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 28: 2023 PEOPLE’S CHOICE COUNTRY AWARDS — Pictured: Toby Keith performs on stage during the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards held at the Grand Ole Opry House on September 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Katherine Bomboy/NBC via Getty Images)

 

Renowned figure in country music, Toby Keith, passed away, as confirmed by his official website and social media channels early on Tuesday. He succumbed to stomach cancer, a battle he publicly disclosed 18 months prior. Keith, aged 62, passed way Monday night, surrounded by loved ones, as conveyed in a brief statement. His struggle against the illness was marked by dignity and bravery, the statement noted.

In June 2022, Keith revealed his cancer diagnosis, and by September of the following year, he discussed the tumultuous journey of undergoing treatment. Reflecting on the experience, he described the fluctuating nature of his condition, emphasizing the mix of highs and lows. Despite the challenges, he expressed optimism in an interview with E! News before receiving the Country Icon Award at the People’s Choice Country Awards.

Throughout his illness, Keith persisted in creating and performing, culminating in a series of live performances in Las Vegas in December. Despite his visibly reduced physique, he delivered many of his chart-topping hits during the three sold-out shows, as chronicled on his official Instagram account.

Born in Clinton, Oklahoma, and raised in Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City, Keith rose to prominence in the early 1990s and solidified his status as a country music icon. His musical career boasted between 25 to 30 million records sold in the United States and billions of digital streams. His final album, “100% Songwriter,” was released in November.

His breakthrough single, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” penned in a Dodge City, Kansas motel bathroom, catapulted him to fame in 1993, topping charts in both the United States and Canada. Subsequently, Keith’s repertoire expanded to include hits like “Beer for My Horses,” a collaboration with Willie Nelson, “I Love This Bar,” and “Red Solo Cup.”