Country singer Toby Keith dies at 62

NASHVILLE (WJW) — Country singer-songwriter Toby Keith, who had been battling stomach cancer, has died at 62, according to his website.

“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family,” a statement on his Facebook page said. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”

Keith leaves behind a wife and three children.

Keith announced his cancer diagnosis on social media in June of 2022. He said at the time that he had spent six months undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

After his diagnosis, he told FOX News in September of 2023 that “I lean on my faith.”

“I just pray and lean into it,” Keith told the outlet. “It was my rock.”

“You get good days and, you know, you’re up and down. … It’s always zero to 60 and 60 to zero, but I feel good today,” he said at the time.

Keith, a sometimes polarizing figure in country music who crafted an identity around his macho, pro-American swagger, had a string of hits, including “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” and “Red Solo Cup.”

The 6-foot-4 “Beer For My Horses” singer-songwriter broke out in the country boom years of the 1990s, writing songs that fans loved to hear. Over his career, he publicly clashed with other celebrities and journalists and often pushed back against record executives who wanted to smooth his rough edges.

He was known for his overt patriotism on post 9/11 songs like “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” and boisterous barroom tunes like “I Love This Bar” and “Red Solo Cup.” He had a powerful booming voice, a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and range that carried love songs as well as drinking songs.

Among his 20 No. 1 Billboard hits were “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “As Good As I Once Was,” “My List” and “Beer for My Horses,” a duet with Willie Nelson.

Keith worked as a roughneck in the oil fields of Oklahoma as a young man, then played semi-pro football before launching his career as a singer.

“I write about life, and I sing about life, and I don’t overanalyze things,” Keith told The Associated Press in 2001, following the success of his song “I’m Just Talking About Tonight.”

Keith was a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and accepted the inaugural Country Music Icon award at the People’s Choice Country Awards in Nashville in September 2023.

In 2006, the country singer began the Toby Keith Foundation, an organization that streamlines its efforts around no-cost housing for children with cancer. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.