Toby Keith — the enduring nation music singer — has died after a battle with abdomen most cancers.
Keith handed away Monday evening whereas surrounded by his household, in accordance with a press release posted to his Fb web page.
“He fought his fight with grace and courage,” the message learn, alluding to his severe well being points.
In June 2022, Keith introduced he had been diagnosed with cancer the earlier fall and was receiving chemo and radiation remedy, in addition to having surgical procedure.
On the time, he mentioned he was doing properly, however he wanted time to “breathe, recover and relax.”
As you recognize, 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,” “Should Have Been A Cowboy,” “As Good As I Once Was,” and “Beer for My Horses,” a 2005 duet with Willie Nelson.
Born in Oklahoma, Keith landed his first document 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 Relatively, “I didn’t take many vacations the first 20 years of my adult 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 music, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).” He wrote the tune in response to the 9/11 assaults and the demise of his disabled veteran father in a automobile accident the identical yr.
Keith went on to carry out quite a few reveals for US army officers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, in addition to three former American presidents, particularly 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 highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government,” in accordance with the Nationwide Endowment for the Arts.
Final September, Keith took residence 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 analysis and gorgeous weight reduction, saying, “Bet you thought you’d never see me in skinny jeans.”
NBC
Toby is survived by his spouse, Tricia, and three kids, Shelley, Krystal and Stelen. He was 62.
RIP