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American country singer Toby Keith revealed that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer last fall and has been receiving treatment for it for the past six months.
Taking to his Twitter handle, the 60-year-old musician shared a statement on June 12 where he disclosed the news to his fans.
“Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.”
Despite his illness, the I Love This Bar crooner continued to perform live. Keith appeared at the Heroes Honor Festival in Daytona Beach, Florida, during Memorial Day weekend, and also sold out the San Antonio Rodeo in February 2022.
He also attended the 2022 Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic in May, which collected over $1.38 million for charity. However, after six months of therapy and treatment, the singer is ready for a much-needed rest, but plans to return to the stage as soon as he can.
“I am looking forward to spending time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
Keith was due to perform at two concerts in the coming weeks, including one at the Ohio State Fair on July 28.
Keith's concerts have now been cancelled, according to event organizers, with refunds available to anyone who purchased tickets. Keith was also scheduled to appear at a few additional performances this summer, from mid-July until late August.
Toby Keith has previously admitted to smoking marijuana with Willie Nelson
As per news outlet Outsider, Toby Keith has openly admitted to smoking weed with Willie Nelson post a concert in Las Vegas.
The publication cited an interview where the singer said:
“Willie was playing at eight o’clock. I go see Willie. I get up, I play a few songs with him. And I get ready to leave and he hollers at the stage and says ‘Stay after the show a little bit, I want to talk to you.'”
Keith waited for Nelson to conclude his performance before rejoining him on his tour bus when Willie gave him some marijuana.
“I’ve never smoked much pot in my life. It’s not my high. We burned one and I couldn’t even function. It was the most hardcore weed that I’d ever smoked. And I only hit it like three or four times.”
Toby Keith revealed that he was "extremely high" when he left Nelson's tour bus and added that he was in bed by 11:30 p.m. on his one night off in Vegas.
Keith claimed he told his friend Scott Emerick about the same, who also got a little too high with Nelson. The two decided to create a song about it called Wacky Tobaccy.
Toby Keith established the Toby Keith Foundation in 2006 to help children with cancer across Oklahoma. In 2014, the organization expanded with the construction of OK Kids Korral, which provides no-cost accommodation to pediatric cancer patients and their families while they get treatment at The Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center, which is close to Keith's hometown.
On the personal front, Keith married his wife Tricia Lucus in 1984. Together, they have three children, Shelley Covel Rowland, Krystal Keith and Stelen Keith Covel.
