Toby Keith's Thoughts On His Final Shows Are So Heartbreaking Now
Toby Keith unexpectedly died on February 5, 2023, less than two months after the country music star had once again taken the stage for three Las Vegas shows. The "Red Solo Cup" singer had gone on an indefinite hiatus from touring following his diagnosis of stomach cancer, which he first announced via Instagram in June 2022.
Keith's illness brought his 2022 tour to an end, with the star canceling over a dozen tour dates. While he had a few guest performances throughout his hiatus, debuting the song "Don't Let the Old Man In" at the People's Choice Awards, his Las Vegas shows marked his first foray back into full-sized performances.
"I was going to sit around here and do nothing like I have been, or get up and go outside and don't let the old man in," Keith shared in an Instagram video. "It'll be my first two shows. They're kind of rehab shows — get the band back in sync, get me rolling again." While these concert dates were seemingly intended to restart his career, they ended up being the final performances of his lifetime.
Keith's last shows showed his optimism for the future
In October 2023, Toby Keith announced that he would be headlining two December concerts at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas. In his original Instagram announcement video, the singer expressed an optimistic determination about returning to the stage. "Through COVID and cancer, the old devil's been after me a little bit," Keith said. "I've got him by the horns right now, so instead of just sitting around and waiting, we're gonna get the band back together."
The Oklahoma native wasn't the only one gearing up for the comeback performances, as tickets for the original shows sold out almost instantly. Because of this, Keith opted to add a third and final Las Vegas show to the line-up. "I'm fired up for these three shows and clearly you are, too," he said in an Instagram clip announcing the additional concert date. When December came around, the country icon gave three show-stopping performances that were commemorated on his Instagram page, ones that he can certainly be proud of as the final of his career.
The country star leaned on his faith during his illness
Toby Keith's Las Vegas shows demonstrate the country star's refusal to let his health issues control his future, something that he opened up about in an interview with News 9. "I'm not going to let this define what my future is," he told the outlet. "Cancer is a roller coaster so it's like you just sit here and wait on it to go away [but] it may not ever go away."
When asked about how he dealt with the uncertainty, the "Should've Been a Cowboy" singer revealed that he had learned to lean on his religion more than ever before. "You have to have your faith," Keith said. "You take it for granted on days that things are good and you lean on it when days are bad and it's taught me to lean on a little more every day."
Even though the icon's life has come to an end, with the star dying peacefully in his sleep while surrounded by family, it's reassuring to know that the last few months of his life were filled with both his personal faith and the musical passion he was known for.