After sharing news of Toby Keith’s passing, his longtime representative, Elaine Schock, is speaking out in her own statement.
“I loved Toby Keith,” she said in a statement given to People. “He was brilliant, fun to be with and we would have some robust discussions. Plus, he could write and sing his a** off.”
As Schock continued, she talked about how "kind" Toby was adding that she thought "he was misunderstood because he was painted a certain way but that was an incorrect portrait. He was so much more. He was certainly one of the most courageous men I knew. I’m not quite sure how to maneuver in a world without Toby yet. I hate the thought of it."
On February 6, Toby Keith's team took to official Instagram page to announce the county music legends passing.
Keith's passing comes a year and a half after he revealed that he was battling stomach cancer. However, over the last couple of month, the music star had revealed that he made great strides as he continued to get treated, even returning to the stage for a time.
"Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family. He fought this fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time," the statement read. Keith was just 62 years old.
On Sunday, just two days ago, Keith shared a video of him on stage, holding up his guitar for the large crowd before him as he soaked in the applause having just preformed for them. Heartbreaking.
In the last month, Toby Keith revealed that he has made great strides since being diagnosed with stomach cancer.
As Mamas Uncut previously, Keith has canceled his tour after revealing his diagnosis in 2022. "I've spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation, and surgery,” Keith wrote in the original statement he shared on June 2022.
“Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer,” he explained. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax. I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
Then, nearly a year and a half later, Keith surprised fans when he appeared at a celebration following the Oklahoma Sooners’ softball team winning the NCAA championship. Now, he’s sharing a more detailed update on his cancer battle.
"I'm feeling pretty good," the 61-year-old country music singer told The Oklahoman. "I'm about another eight weeks from my last scan. So I expect next time I look for that tumor to be even less − and I've only got one that's shown up.”
"Basically, everything is in a real positive trend. You never know with cancer, so you have to prepare. But my goal is, I feel better; I've got more wind. And I'm thinking about bringing the band in and setting up, playing two or three days somewhere just to see if I can get through two hours,” Keith explained.
And if he can play for two hours straight while still feeling good, Keith said he will “be out on the road this fall.”
However, as Keith gears up to turn 62 on July 8th, he revealed that he is still undergoing chemo and immunotherapy treatments. The good news is that his cancer has “shrunk by a third,” and his blood tests continue to look good.
"They put oxygen in your blood. They give you high doses of vitamin C, and good vitamins and nutrient bag you up to where you feel better. And you can start trying to heal your body," he said while explaining how his treatments work.
"Now, they're trying to fight where the cancer backs up and says, 'Oh, you're fighting that tumor? We're gonna remorph and turn into this kind of cancer.' ... So while (the cancer cells) are in the bullpen regrouping, we're trying to kill 'em with something different."
And Keith's recent Instagram post seems to prove he's right on track. "Toby‘s first rehearsal turned into a 2 1/2-hour pop-up show. He sang all the hits plus the Bus Songs…Toby is back!"
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