Country Singer Toby Keith Dies: ‘In the Presence of Our King’
By Movieguide® Staff
Country singer Toby Keith has died following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62.
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time,” a statement on his website reads. Keith first announced his cancer diagnosis in 2022.
Throughout his cancer battle, the “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” singer-songwriter relied on God.
“I lean on my faith and I just pray and lean into it,” he stated. “You gotta’ do what you gotta’ do, and I don’t know how people do it without faith…that’s what I did, it was my rock.”
“Thank God that I got it [faith] too,” he said in a recent interview. “You take it for granted on days that things are good and you lean on it when days are bad. It’s taught me to lean on it a little more every day.”
Keith rose to prominence in the 1990s, and “He was known for his overt patriotism on post 9/11 songs like ‘Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,’ and boisterous barroom tunes like ‘I Love This Bar’ and ‘Red Solo Cup,’” per AP News.
Late last year, he returned to the stage. Movieguide® reported:
“Hey, everybody! This is Toby Keith. It’s been a while,” the country star posted on YouTube. “You know what I’ve been doing… been on the old rollercoaster, but Almighty’s riding shotgun. He’s letting me drive for some reason.”
He also performed at the People’s Choice Country Awards, where he sang “Don’t Let The Old Man In.”
“I’ve always wrote with a prayer, and as long as I have Him with me, I’m cool,” Keith said at the show. “You just have to dig in, you don’t have a choice.”
Fellow country stars remembered the music icon.
“Saddle up the horses, Jesus, ‘cause a true blue COWBOY just made his ride up to heaven!!! Introduce him to all the Okies and sign that boy up for the choir!” Carrie Underwood posted.
“We’re gonna miss you, Toby, but my heart has no doubt that you are standing in the presence of our King right now!!! See you again someday, friend,” she wrote.
“Today is a sad day for Country music and its fans,” singer Jason Aldean wrote. “Toby was a huge presence in our business and someone we all looked up to and respected. You and your music will be forever remembered big man.”
Per PEOPLE, “[Keith] won several accolades throughout the years for his music, including album of the year and male vocalist of the year at the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM). He also won the ACM Entertainer of the Year in 2003 and 2004, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.”
“Keith also played for several U.S. presidents including George W Bush. Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and was even awarded the National Medal of the Arts by the latter,” the source added.
Keep Keith’s family in your prayers during this difficult time.
