Everything We Know About Toby Keith's Stomach Cancer
Country music superstar Toby Keith died on February 5, 2024, after an arduous, years-long battle with stomach cancer. The "I Love This Bar" singer underwent numerous treatments to fight the disease, including radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy. He had even returned to the stage after his diagnosis, playing back-to-back sold-out shows at Park MGM in Las Vegas in December 2023. However, these performances would be his last.
Keith first announced his diagnosis in an Instagram post in June 2022, writing, "Last fall, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I've spent the last six 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."
The award-winning singer-songwriter is survived by his mother, brother, and sister; his wife, Tricia Lucus; his two daughters, Shelley Covel and Krystal Covel Sandubrae; his son, Stelen; and four grandchildren. Here's what we know about Keith's grave diagnosis.
Toby Keith remained positive throughout his cancer battle
According to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rate for stomach cancer is only 35%. Despite these odds, country singer Toby Keith maintained an optimistic outlook after his 2021 diagnosis. The singer-songwriter continued to appear at awards shows and philanthropic events immediately after making his diagnosis diagnosis public in 2022, telling The Oklahoman in June of the following year that he felt like he was on the up and up. "I'm feeling pretty good," Keith confirmed. "I'm about another eight weeks from my last scan. So, I expect next time I look for that tumor to be even less — and I've only got one that's shown up."
By September 2023, the musician's tumor had shrunk to a third of what it was when doctors first discovered it. While speaking to E! News, Keith explained how the process was "a little bit of a roller coaster. You get good days and, you know, you're up and down, up and down. It's always zero to 60 and 60 to zero, but I feel good today."
Keith's family referenced his steadfastly positive attitude in their announcement of the country superstar's passing on his website, writing that the singer-songwriter had fought against his stomach cancer with "grace and courage." The announcement also confirmed that Keith had passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family.
The country star pursued his passions up until the very end
Toby Keith cemented his place in the country music canon thanks to releasing decades of smash hits like "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)," "Beer for My Horses," and "Should've Been a Cowboy." His cancer diagnosis did little to dampen Keith's passion for writing, playing, and performing music. In his 2023 interview with The Oklahoman, the country icon divulged that he was working toward having enough energy to perform a two-hour set again. After that, he planned on resuming touring in the fall.
In October 2023, Keith shared a video to his Instagram announcing what would be his final show dates in Las Vegas. The singer, wearing sunglasses and his signature large hat, said he was ready to get back onstage after taking an abnormally long break due to his diagnosis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Keith described them as "rehab shows" to "get the band back in sync, get me rolling again, first time in my whole life I've been off over two years. Instead of just sitting around and waiting, we're going to get the band back together."
The country star's final Instagram post was a short clip from December 2023 of Keith performing onstage in Las Vegas. Taken from behind the drum kit, the video showed him facing the crowd and lifting his guitar triumphantly over his head. Keith wrote in the caption, "And that's a wrap on the weekend, y'all. Back to it." Poignantly, he died the night the clip was posted.