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In 2021, Toby Keith revealed he received a stomach cancer diagnosis. Since that time, he has been silent and kept mostly out of the public eye. He has since returned to give his first interview since he learned he had cancer.
Here is what Keith said about his diagnosis and what he has done since then in his battle against cancer.
Toby Keith called cancer diagnosis ‘debilitating’
Toby Keith learned he had stomach cancer in later 2021, and in June 2022, the country music hit-maker said he was stepping away from music. He was planning his battle against cancer and was going in for chemo, radiation, and surgery. The musician kept out of the spotlight during that time. Now, he is returning for an interview with CMT Hot 20 Countdown to talk about it.
The good news is that Toby Keith said he plans to “get back in fighting shape.” He said the entire situation was debilitating, but he needs some time to rest 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.” This was his way of saying he wants to get back to making and performing music again for his fans. It was from a clip from his interview posted on Twitter.
He previously said that he received his chemo, radiation, and surgery treatments, which stretched out for about six months. Toby noted he needed time to “breathe, recover and relax.” The new interview makes it sound like he remains worn down from the cancer battle. He said he wanted to spend time with his family, but he also said he was ready to get back out to entertain his fans.
You heard it here first! @tobykeith has plans to get back on the road after battling cancer 👊 More details on his road to recovery this weekend only on #cmtHot20! pic.twitter.com/3p3Rs5a1XM
— CMT Hot 20 Countdown (@cmtHot20) November 19, 2022
Toby Keith has already performed once since his battle
Toby Keith has already performed for fans once since his cancer treatment. He showed up at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky. While there, he performed a series of songs for the fans. This included his own “I Love This Bar” and a cover of “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
After this, Toby showed up at the 2022 BMI Awards where they honored him with the BMI Icon Award. Carrie Underwood and Eric Church both took the stage to sing songs honoring the Oklahoma native.
As for Keith, cancer has always been at the forefront of his mind. In 2014, he founded the OK Kids Korral in Oklahoma, which offers families a cost-free home away from home for pediatric cancer patients. This was also part of the Toby Keith Foundation, which has raised money for children with cancer since 2006.
Help send well wishes to Toby Keith in his ongoing battle with cancer and let him know your thoughts in the comments below.
Toby Keith is my favorite country western artist. I love his music and his amazing voice. I was fortunate enough to see Toby a few years ago (twice) at Mohegan Sun in Ct. His shows are great. I would love it if someday he would record some classic songs that show just how great his voice is. I do have lots of his cd’s and play them often. I have been following his health since he first announced his battle with cancer and I wish him the very best and pray for his full recovery. I also appreciate his love for this country and all that he has done for our service men. God Bless you Toby and may you win your battle with cancer. Keep fighting. Thank you.