Toby Keith Offers Health Update at People’s Choice Country Awards After Cancer Diagnosis: ‘You Just Have to Dig In’

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"I'm doing a lot better than I was this time last year," says Keith, who accepted the Country Icon honor at the inaugural awards show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toby Keith, who received the Country Icon award at the first ever People’s Choice Country Awards on Thursday night (Sept. 28), shared an update on his battle with stomach cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2021.

“I’ve walked some dark hallways. Almighty’s riding shotgun,” he told Extra on the red carpet. “But I feel pretty good, you know? You have good days and bad days. It’s a little bit of a roller coaster. I’m doing a lot better than I was this time last year.” To keep strong, the 60-year-old star keeps it simple: “Just my faith. I’ve always rode with a prayer. As long as I have Him with me, I’m cool. You just have to dig in. You don’t have a choice.”

Keith revealed his stomach cancer diagnosis in June 2022. “Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer,” Keith began his tweet. “I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.”

The singer added: “I am looking forward to spending time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”

During Thursday’s People’s Choice Country Awards, Keith performed “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” which he wrote for Clint Eastwood’s The Mule, but the song had a more harrowing feel in light of the diagnosis. “And I knew all of my life/ That someday it would end/ Get up and go outside/ Don’t let the old man in,” he sings on the reflective track.

Watch the interview below.