One year ago today, country music lost one of its biggest superstars. On February 5, 2024, Toby Keith passed away, after a brave battle with stomach cancer.
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family,” the family announced on February 6. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of the family at this time.”
— Toby Keith (@tobykeith) February 6, 2024
In 2022, Keith revealed he had been quietly battling stomach cancer, before announcing his diagnosis.
“Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer,” Keith said at the time. “I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax. I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
Keith’s death came as a surprise to many, especially since he seemed to be planning to tour in 2024, while being treated for his cancer.
“It’s on the board,” Keith told Taste of Country Nights, On Demand. “They have got a great plan together, and we’ve built a new set, and we’re getting the trucks and buses fired up. Our plan is to go forward, don’t let this stuff define our future — let’s go.”
Keith worked diligently to overcome his cancer, both with chemotherapy and holistic treatments.
“I feel pretty good. It’s a rollercoaster all the time with this stuff,” Keith said on the Sellout Crowd podcast. “I have the resources financially and otherwise to get the best treatments I can get. They’re taking great care of me and I’m getting all the latest stuff you can get. In fact, I’m going tomorrow to Florida to see another guy down there, that’s got some other kind of treatments, and I’m trying them all. I’m throwing the kitchen sink at it.”
In October, Keith was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Randy Owen inducted Keith.
“This is about a man that I dearly loved, and I always felt like he dearly loved me, and he truly cared about me,” Owen said. “When we were filming the CMT Giants, I was doing real good, until I went around and saw his name on a dressing room, knowing that he couldn’t be there. That’s how much I felt like he loved me, and the group, Alabama. So I’ll always be thankful to Toby for caring so much. He was absolutely emphatic that he was going to make that taping, even though his health didn’t allow him to … He loved his country, he loved his family. He proved that over and over again.”
Keith’s wife, Tricia Covel, accepted the honor on her late husband’s behalf, speaking about Keith’s love of Owen and Alabama.
“It’s pretty emotional for me tonight,” Covel said through tears. “This is actually the first time I’ve been able to talk. I’m not sure I can finish it, but I wanted to thank Randy for coming up and introducing Toby … I wish Toby was here to be able to do it. It was something he was always looking forward to. He loved Randy and the Alabama group, back in the day, he would always say that was the only rehearsals he ever did, was when Alabama put out a new album.
“Many people don’t know it, but Toby fought to be able to perform at the show,” she added. “He wanted to be there for the tribute. He refused to give up until the very last minute. He wasn’t able to make it, so it was a pretty disappointing thing for him.”
Find all of Keith’s music at TobyKeith.com.