Toby Keith — the long-lasting nation music singer — has died after a battle with abdomen most cancers.
Keith handed away Monday evening whereas surrounded by his household, in response to a press release posted to his Fb web page.
“He fought his battle with grace and braveness,” the message learn, alluding to his severe well being points.
In June 2022, Keith introduced he had been recognized with most cancers the earlier fall and was receiving chemo and radiation remedy, in addition to having surgical procedure.
On the time, he mentioned he was doing effectively, however he wanted time to “breathe, get well and chill out.”
As you understand, Keith was one of many largest names in nation music. All through his three-decade profession, he launched 24 studio and compilation albums and a couple of Christmas data, producing $40 million in worldwide music gross sales.
Keith additionally produced 61 tracks that appeared on the Billboard Scorching Nation Songs, with 20 of them hitting primary and 22 others touchdown within the prime ten.
A few of his most recognizable tunes have been “Who’s Your Daddy?,” “Made In America,” “Ought to Have Been A Cowboy,” “As Good As I As soon as Was,” and “Beer for My Horses,” a 2005 duet with Willie Nelson.
Born in Oklahoma, Keith landed his first file deal in 1993 after being employed as a rodeo hand, a roughneck and enjoying semiprofessional soccer. He labored across the clock, as soon as telling former TV information anchor, Dan Moderately, “I did not take many holidays the primary 20 years of my grownup life.”
Utilizing his intense work ethic, Keith cranked out album after album and have become a family identify in 2002, when he launched a controversial track, “Courtesy of the Pink, White and Blue (The Indignant American).” He wrote the tune in response to the 9/11 assaults and the loss of life of his disabled veteran father in a car accident the identical yr.
Keith went on to carry out quite a few exhibits for US army officers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, in addition to three former American presidents, specifically Donald Trump, Barack Obama and George W. Bush. At his performances, Keith was identified to dole out presents to wheelchair-bound veterans wounded in fight.
In 2021, then-President Trump honored Keith with the Nationwide Medal of Arts award, which is “the best award given to artists and humanities patrons by the USA authorities,” in response to the Nationwide Endowment for the Arts.
Final September, Keith took house the Nation Music Icon Award on the Folks’s Selection Nation Awards 2023. After accepting the statue, he gave a speech that introduced some levity to his most cancers prognosis and gorgeous weight reduction, saying, “Guess you thought you’d by no means see me in skinny denims.”
Toby is survived by his spouse, Tricia, and three kids, Shelley, Krystal and Stelen. He was 62.
RIP
