Toby Keith states in his first interview after going public with his stomach cancer diagnosis earlier this year that he is “thinking about getting back into fighting form.”
Despite recognizing that his disease is “quite debilitating, Keith continued, “as long as everything stays hunky-dory, then we’ll look at something wonderful in the future.”
Keith discussed his situation with CMT Hot 20 Countdown. I need a little bit of time to just rest and recover, he added.
In June, Keith announced that he was ill and postponed events so that he could receive treatment. However, he has made a few public appearances, including one in November at the Jeff Ruby Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky, when he sang “I Love This Bar” and “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
In an adorable Instagram post earlier this week, Keith included a picture of a young cancer sufferer and wrote, “Thumbs up if you’re enjoying #GivingTuesday by donating to the @tkfoundation1! Your contributions enable the OK Kids Korral, a haven away from home for families with children fighting cancer. Keith supports young cancer patients through the TK Foundation.
Toby Keith, who has been nominated for seven Grammy awards and was named artist of the year by the Academy of Country Music in 2002 and 2003, confirmed on Sunday that he had stomach cancer.
Keith, 60, shared updates about his health on social media.
He posted on Instagram, “Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer.” “During the past six months, I’ve undergone surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Good news thus far, I need some time to relax, rest, and breathe. This time with my family is something I am looking forward to. But I’ll definitely run into the fans shortly. I am impatient.
Keith won’t be appearing at his booked engagements “for now,” according to his publicist, Elaine Schock. This coming Friday marked the commencement of his most recent tour.
The country hit “Old School” from his most recent album, “Peso in My Pocket,” reached the top 25.
Last November, Keith was enshrined in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He recently gave a performance at Daytona International Speedway’s Heroes Honor Festival.
The news of Keith’s sickness sparked a wave of sympathy from well-known friends.
Big & Rich’s John Rich tweeted, “Hang in there, @tobykeith.”
Wishing you health and strength, my buddy! Hannah Storm, an ESPN anchor, answered.
Along with a picture of the two, musician Sammy Hagar tweeted, “Wishing my big buddy a rapid recovery and a whole lotta love from most redheads throughout the world.”
Before starting a music career, Keith, an Oklahoma native, played football in the USFL and worked in the oil industry. His self-titled Mercury debut album, which was released in 1993 and sold more than a million copies, was certified platinum.
Keith is well known for his 2002 song “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” which was partially inspired by the 9/11 terrorist events and is noted for his conservative sentiments.
