Country music superstar Toby Keith has announced he has been battling stomach cancer since late last year but has been receiving treatment and plans to return to the stage soon.
In a statement posted on Twitter Verified and his Instagram account on Sunday, Keith said he was diagnosed with cancer last fall.
“I have undergone six months of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax,” the statement read. “I’m looking forward to spending time with my family. But I’ll see my fans again soon. I can’t wait. -T”
According to his official website, Keith will be playing Ribfest in Illinois on June 17.
He released his latest album – “Peso in my Pocket” – last year after taking a break from touring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the website said.
In 2021, then-US President Donald Trump presented Keith with the National Medal of Arts, which the National Endowment for the Arts describes as “the highest award given to artists and patrons by the United States government by the United States government. art.”
“Toby Keith is a singer, songwriter, musician, and humanitarian who has completed 11 USO Tours to date. He’s had 32 #1 singles,” the National Endowment for the Arts said in a release. January 2021.
Keith, born in Oklahoma, released his debut album in 1993 and is known for hits like “Red Solo Cup” and “I Wanna Talk About Me.” The 2002 song “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” released after the 9/11 attacks, made him famous.
Keith has performed hundreds of shows for US service members abroad, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as at events for Presidents Donald Trump, Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
