Jason Kempin
Toby Keith Dies at Age 62 After Stomach Cancer Battle: ‘He Fought His Fight With Grace and Courage’
Rest in peace. Country music icon Toby Keith has died at 62 years old after losing his battle with stomach cancer.
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5, surrounded by his family,” read a statement shared via the musician’s verified X account on Tuesday, February 6. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
The country legend revealed his diagnosis with stomach cancer in June 2022. “Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer,” he wrote via social media at the time. “I’ve spent the last six 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.”
He further opened up about his diagnosis while speaking to E! News in September 2023. “You get good days and, you know, you’re up and down, up and down. It’s always zero to 60 and 60 to zero but I feel good today,” Toby told the outlet before he received the Country Icon Award at the People’s Choice Country Awards.
He added that he felt “pretty good” at the time and that it was “nice to recognize [his] 30-year career” during the event.
The “I Love This Bar” singer also reflected on what he was the most proud of when it came to his career. “My songwriting,” he shared. “Those years of pounding those songs out there and remembering where you were when each one was conceived and all that, it’s amazing.”
In another interview with Sellout Crowd, the Oklahoma native called his cancer battle “a roller-coaster” and acknowledged he was lucky to have access to the “best treatments” available.
“I have the resources financially and otherwise to get the best treatments I can get. They’re taking great care of me and I’m getting all the latest stuff you can get,” he explained in November 2023. “In fact, I’m going to Florida to see another guy down there that’s got some other kind of treatments and I’m trying ’em all I’m throwing the kitchen sink at it.”
Toby is survived by his wife, Tricia Lucas, and their adult children Shelley, Krystal and Stelen.
Toby had a close bond with his family and credited them for helping him amid the cancer battle. “When you get diagnosed [with cancer], you just freak,” he told Audacy’s “Katie & Company” in December 2023. “And here it is two years later… [family] things are more important than anything, and I’m so blessed.”
