Tributes are pouring in for country singer Toby Keith, who passed away on Monday at the age of 62 after a battle with stomach cancer.
Keith “passed away peacefully” surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on his website and social media accounts.
“He fought his battles with grace and courage,” it says. “Please respect his family’s privacy at this time.”
The Oklahoma artist has sold more than 40 million albums during his career, including 20 albums including “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)” and “Beer.” has a number one single. For My Horse” and “As Good as I Once Was.”
Country singer Toby Keith dies at age 62
Toby Keith attends the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards held at the Grand Ole Opry House on September 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Tammy Arroyo/Variety, via Getty Images)
An outspoken and sometimes controversial advocate for American soldiers, Keith has made 11 USO tours performing for American service members serving overseas. He also helped raise millions of dollars for his charities throughout his career, including building a home in Oklahoma City for children battling cancer and their families. He wrote about his support for the men and women of the American military in his 2003 hit song “American Soldier.”
Heartbroken fans and friends expressed their condolences to the family and shared their love for Keith’s music on social media.
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Toby Keith performs at the 2021 iHeart Country Festival at the Frank Erwin Center on October 30, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
“God bless @tobykeith and his family. Rest in peace to a country music legend,” Fox News’ Janice Dean posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“We can’t believe we have lost our dear personal friend Toby Keith. We are filled with deep sadness, but also filled with wonderful memories. He was as genuine as anyone and no one knew. He has done so much for so many people,” wrote Deputy Director Joe Castiglione. President and Director of Athletics for the University of Oklahoma’s Intercollegiate Athletics Program. “Please pray for his entire family. May he rest on that mountain of Big T.”
Singer-songwriter Kid Rock responded to Keith’s death on Tuesday’s “Fox & Friends,” saying, “He was an incredibly talented man who loved his family as much as he loved his country. And we… “Let’s not forget what a fun guy he was.” .
Singer Dan Diehl wrote on Facebook, “He is one of my country music heroes who I have looked up to since I was 13 years old when ‘Shusha Been a Cowboy’ was first sung.” “I had the pleasure of meeting him several times at concerts and briefly after a show at Cherokee in 2016.
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Toby Keith during the 36th Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony held at Universal Amphitheater in Universal City, California, USA. (M. Caulfield/Wire Image)
“I didn’t bother him for the photo shoot. I just lived in the moment. But I let him know that I’ve always been a big fan, and he was very nice to me. He actually took the time to talk to me about shopping, “writing songs, and our mutual love for Haggard,” Diehl wrote. “We will be so sad to see TK go, and our prayers go out to all of his family and friends.”
“Wow, we lost a legend this week. Rest in peace Toby Keith,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote about X. Keith has performed at events for Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, and was awarded the National Medal of Arts by the latter. In 2021.
Veterans remembered his service overseas fondly and expressed their gratitude.
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“He was just the GOAT. I remember coming to our deployment site and performing,” Thomas Wright wrote. “A true legend.”
“I saw him perform at Kandahar Airfield. It was just him and one backup singer,” Joshua Stanley wrote on the X show. “He was obviously exhausted from traveling all the bases, but he still wanted to put on a good show for us, which he did. God bless him,” Sensei said. ,Thank you for your concern. please rest at ease. ”
This is a developing story and will be updated. Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion, Stephen Sorace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
