Country music singer Toby Keith has had stomach cancer for over a year but has shared positive signs that his health is improving.
The 62-year-old is best known for his tracks “Red Solo Cup,” “” and “I Love This Bar” but stepped away from music recently after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.
A year after he revealed his diagnosis, he spoke to local newspaper The Oklahoman with some positive news to share. “I’m feeling pretty good. […] I’m about another eight weeks from my last scan. So, I expect next time I look for that tumor to be even less,” he said in early June 2023.
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Keith has been a prominent country music singer since the release of his first hit single in 1993, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” and has since gone on to collaborate with the likes of Willie Nelson, Sting, Jewel and Kenny Chesney to name a few.
In June 2022, he informed his fans on social media that he’d been was diagnosed with the disease in the fall of 2021.
“Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I’ve spent the last six months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax,” he wrote on . “I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
Since then he’s continued to update social media but has not performed live or released new music since his 2021 album Peso in My Pocket. He received an outpouring of support from the music community with the likes of Sammy Hagar, , Jake Owen and Trevor Rosen publicly voicing their support, along with former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, former cyclist and wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
In early June he made a public appearance at his fundraising event, the Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic weekend where he spoke to local newspaper The Oklahoman.
Speaking backstage at the charity event, Keith confirmed that he was still receiving chemotherapy, that his blood tests were looking “good” and that his tumor has shrunk by a third. He went on to share his hopes that he’ll be back making music and performing live again later this year.
“Basically, everything is in a real positive trend. You never know with cancer, so you have to prepare. But my goal is, I feel better; I’ve got more wind. And I’m thinking about bringing the band in and setting up, playing two or three days somewhere just to see if I can get through two hours,” he said. “And if I do, (I’ll) be out on the road this fall.”
Keith later revealed, with an Instagram post on July 21, that he sang onstage at the golf classic alongside Mark Miller and Sawyer Brown. He also showed his followers that his voice is still strong with a on July 14, as he sang his song, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” on karaoke in the back of an .
Regalrumination.com has reached out to Toby Keith and his team via email for further comment.