Toby Keith recently shared some disappointing news with his fans: he is sick. The beloved country star did not disclose what specifically is wrong, but asked for privacy as he undergoes treatment.
In the fall of 2021, the Oklahoma-born musician was diagnosed with stomach cancer and has been receiving treatment for it since then.
In a post on his social media sites, Keith described the experience in further detail. He stated, “I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation, and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.”
Toby also took a brief moment to give thanks to his fans who have stuck by him through thick and thin. He stated, “I am looking forward to spending time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait. -T.”
At the moment, it’s not clear what the status of Keith’s scheduled performances for the rest of this year will be.
The site also updated fans that he’d just released his most recent recording, “Peso in My Pocket,” after taking a break from touring owing to the Covid epidemic.
He also spoke to PEOPLE about his album at the time, during which he had an interview. According to Kieth, the ideas for the tracks on the record came to him while doing his favorite hobby – running. He stated, “I’d look at the song ideas I had in my phone before I started running, and then I would take off. The next thing I know, my time would be up, and I’d have been constantly working, grinding gears in my head about the songs. I’d get back and put on my recorder on my phone and I would lay down what I got. ”
He continued, “It was a great time for me to write.”
The Ohio State Fair said the concert that was to take place on July 28 in Columbus, Ohio has been postponed in response to Keith’s statement.
Some tour dates have been, and will continue to be canceled, said Keith’s publicist Elaine Schock, “but I’m not sure how many at this point.”
Toby Keith is a well-known figure in the music industry. In 2021, Keith was given the “National Medal of Arts,” which the National Endowment for the Arts describes as “the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government.”
In January 2021, the National Endowment for the Arts announced that: “Toby Keith is a singer, songwriter, musician, and humanitarian who has completed 11 USO Tours to date. He has 32 #1 single.”
Keith’s debut album was in 1993 and his famous songs are “Red Solo Cup” and “I Wanna Talk About Me.” In 2002, he released a song called “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American),” which made him very popular shortly after 9/11.
Keith has done an impressive number of shows for American service members stationed in hostile environments, including Afghanistan and Iraq. Not only this, but he’s played at events hosted by some of the most high-profile Presidents: Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush.
Since 2006, Toby has been working to assist children with cancer. In 2006, he created the Toby Keith Foundation to provide assistance to youngsters battling cancer. Then in 2014, the OK Kids Korral was founded, a free, easy-to-navigate, and comfortable home for pediatric cancer patients undergoing therapy according to its website.