Last year, Toby Keith shared the heartbreaking news that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, and was forced to cancel his remaining tour dates as he underwent chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
The country star has largely remained out of the public eye in the year since he made the announcement, though in November he did sit down with CMT and reveal that he still hopes to tour again after he’s had some time to heal and rest up.
And we’ve even seen Toby out and about a little, with the country star jumping on stage to sing a few songs at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky late last year.
Then last week, Toby shared a photo of himself – the first time we’d gotten a public glimpse of the Big Dog Daddy in quite some time – in a Twitter post expressing his support for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
Toby’s noticeably thinner these days, but appears to be doing well and recovering from his cancer battle. And fans were quick to offer their prayers and support to Toby on the post:
Wish you nothing but the best bro… you deserve it
— Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 (@Chicago1Ray) June 3, 2023
Feel better soon big buddy…
— Ⱥmerican Trucker 🇺🇸 (@taylorbilt) June 3, 2023
You are as good as you ever were. 💪
— Un hombre cualquiera ✠ (@CualquieraOnvre) June 2, 2023
Prayers for your recovery ❤️🩹 brother. Love your music and your support for our country.
— Martin McCary 🍊 (@MccaryMartin) June 4, 2023
Get better soon, cowboy.
Toby Keith Considering Touring Again Following Cancer Battle
Toby Keith ain’t ready to hang it up just yet.
Of course, the country music star recently underwent treatment for stomach cancer, taking on six months of various treatments including a combination of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
Last in June, he told fans that he’s looking forward to “recovering and relaxing” with his family, and that he’ll see his fans again soon.
He shared the following statement on Instagram:
“Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.
I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
The prognosis appears to be good now that the cancer is in remission, and we’ve even seen Toby out and about here recently, with him even jumping on stage to sing a few songs at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky.
The the big dog daddy also recently sat down with CMT’s Cody Alan at the 2022 BMI Country Awards, where he was presented with the BMI Icon Award.
When asked if he was going to get back that out there, he indicated that as long as he continues to heal, it’ll happen:
“I’m thinking about getting back to fightin’ shape. I need a little bit of time to rest up and heal up.
It’s pretty debilitating to have to go through all that, but as long as everything stays hunky dory, then we’ll look at something good in the future.”
Fightin’ shape… gotta love it.
Toby Keith Delivers Heartfelt Acceptance Speech For The BMI Icon Award
Last year, Toby Keith appeared at the 2022 BMI Country Awards to accept the Icon Award.
For those unfamiliar, Nashville BMI Records is an organization that collects and distributes royalties and licensing fees to protect the work of singers and songwriters in the country music industry.
The organization was founded over 80 years ago and has been a prominent player in the country music industry since, representing nearly 1.3 million songwriters and composers.
Toby Keith was selected as the Icon of the Year by them this year. Keith shares how he got affiliated with the organization during his acceptance speech.
“My first thing when I got to Nashville……they said, ‘You’ve got to get affiliated.’
So I walked into the office one day….and I said, ‘I’m from Oklahoma, and I need to get ‘filiated.'”
He tells a hilarious story about how he became affiliated with BMI and noted how appreciative he is of them from a songwriter’s perspective; he thinks that songwriting is the most essential part of the industry.
It is interesting to hear how Keith wasn’t sure if he would make it as a singer when he first arrived in Nashville, but he knew that there was a chance someone could cut a song he wrote.
Lucky for him, he was dealt a great hand of cards that allowed him to be a superstar singer and a songwriter.
Toby Keith is a great storyteller, and this speech was phenomenal. Most award speeches are all about thanking those who got you there, which Keith makes sure to do, but includes his perspective on the industry with some unfiltered stories.
Toby Keith, you are an icon. Congratulations.
