Toby Keith, known for his hits “Should Have Been a Cowboy,” “Red Solo Cup,” “A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action,” and more died on Monday, February 5. He was 62. Keith died after a nearly three-year battle with stomach cancer.
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5, surrounded by his family,” read a statement on Keith’s website and social media. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Born July 8, 1961, in Clinton, Oklahoma, Keith attended Villanova University from 1979 through 1980 and originally wanted to be a petroleum engineer before music took hold of him. In 1993, Keith released his 1993 eponymous debut and first No. 1 “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” and continued to navigate more blue-collar anthems and heartfelt ballads throughout the ’90s—Boomtown (1994), Blue Moon (1996), and Dream Walkin’ (1997).
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The Oklahoma native continued delivering a diverse collection of stories in his songbook throughout his 30-year career. By 1999, Keith had his biggest breakthrough hit “How Do You Like Me Now?!” which was the title track of his fifth album. Co-written with Chuck Cannon, the song remained at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks and also hit the Top 40 (at No. 31) of the Hot 100, and became his biggest crossover hit at the time, and one of his signature songs.
In 2001, the album and song also earned Keith the ACM award for Top Male Vocalist and Album of the Year. Throughout his career, Keith released 19 albums, including Peso in My Pocket in 2021, and 20 No. 1 hits, including ‘Who’s That Man,” “Me Too,” “As Good as I Once Was,” and his 2003 duet with Willie Nelson, “Beer for My Horses,” among others.
In 2006, Keith established the Toby Keith Foundation to help provide no-cost housing for children battling cancer and receiving treatment at The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center. Just eight years later, Keith also opened OK Kids Korral, which provides free housing for patients and their families during treatment.
The country icon first shared his cancer diagnosis in June of 2022 but revealed that he had been struggling with it since October of 2021 and undergoing numerous rounds of radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. “It’s a little bit of a roller coaster,” said Keith in September 2023. “You get good days and, you know, you’re up and down, up and gown. It’s always zero to 60 and 60 to zero, but I feel good today.”
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Despite his condition, Keith continued touring throughout the fall and winter of December 2023, with a final show on December 14 at the Dolby Live at Park MGM, Las Vegas, Nevada. On September 28, 2023, Ketih also made a final appearance on television during the People’s Choice Country Awards on Thursday, September 28 where he received the inaugural Country Icon Award.
On the show, Keith shared a moving performance of his 2019 song “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” which was originally inspired by a conversation he had with Clint Eastwood—and later featured in Eastwood’s 2018 film The Mule.
“I bet y’all thought you’d ever see me in skinny jeans,” joked Keith accepting his award. “I would like to thank the almighty for allowing me to be here tonight. He’s been riding shotgun with me for a little while.”
Keith is survived by his wife of 40 years, Tricia Lucas, and their three children, daughters Krystal and Shelley and son Stelen.
Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
