Country music legend Toby Keith peacefully passed away on Feb. 5, surrounded by his family, after bravely battling cancer. The family’s statement expressed, “He fought his fight with grace and courage,” and urged privacy.

In September 2023, Keith openly discussed his cancer journey at the People’s Choice Country Awards, describing it as a roller coaster of good and challenging days. Despite the ups and downs, he expressed feeling good on the red carpet with his wife, Tricia Lucus.

In December 2023, Keith returned to the stage in Las Vegas after his cancer revelation. In a YouTube video, he shared, “Through COVID and cancer, the old devil’s been after me a little bit. I’ve got him by the horns right now.” The shows served as a rehabilitation, marking his first performances in over two years.

Throughout his illustrious career, Keith played for U.S. presidents and was awarded the National Medal of the Arts in 2021. His last Instagram post featured a video of him singing, captioned, ”And that’s a wrap on the weekend, y’all. Back to it.”