The Country community lost a one of a kind singer-songwriter, patriot and all around legend this week with the death of Toby Keith following his battle against stomach cancer.
Honor Toby Keith’s memory by listening to his greatest hits via Remembering Toby Keith Radio on the free Audacy app
News of Toby’s passing came Tuesday morning (February 6) as his family released a statement sharing he died overnight surrounded by those he loved at age 62.
Toby’s legacy has already proven impactful as family, friends, and fans have been sharing their favorite music and memories of Toby while mourning the loss. Audacy’s Katie Neal is included in that group as she took time to reflect and honor Toby’s music, life, and legacy by featuring her favorite interview clips with the “Big Dog Daddy” himself from across the years, the most recent being in December 2023.
“It’s been a tough day,” Neal expressed to listeners on Tuesday’s show. “Toby Keith passed away yesterday after a years-long battle with stomach cancer and it just broke my heart for his family, for the Country music community. I think we were all feeling really hopeful that Toby was past the worst of this.”
Katie continued on to share clips from her most recent interview with Keith where he expressed gratitude for the time he’d been giving following his diagnosis along with hope for the future.
“It’s been a tough two years, but I think I’m turning a corner,” he said. “When you get diagnosed, you just freak.”
Two years after being diagnosed, Keith was beginning to bring his focus back to his music for the first time and it was clear the 62-year-old’s battle had brought a new perspective to his life. For his return, he chose his single, “Don’t Let The Old Man In,” which was a song he’d originally written in 2018 and found new meaning in following his cancer diagnosis.
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“Toby also told me in that interview that song had really taken on a different meaning for him because he hadn’t ever expected to live out some of the words to that song,” Neal said. “I think it’s really special that got to be the last single that he sent to us in Country radio.”
Keith’s impact goes far beyond the music as he was a generous philanthropist and mentor for many, but what stands out about him most for several was his patriotism and support for our troops.
“So much of his legacy is what he did for our troops,” shared Neal. “Toby did 11 USO tours, 11! I cannot imagine the number of spirits he lifted on those visits.”
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While the support he showed surely had a life-changing impact for our brave soldiers and their families, Toby was always in awe of the sacrifices they made to protect our country. He shared the intensity of that impact with Neal in 2021 when he told the story of a moment overseas when he was reminded of the ultimate sacrifice as they laid a flag-draped, fallen soldier at his feet.
“After we toured Iraq the whole week, [it] came time to leave and we were getting on a C-130, and getting ready to go to Kuwait City and change jets, to a C-17 and go to Afghanistan,” Keith could be heard sharing in a past interview with Neal. “They made us get off the plane. They said, ‘Unbuckle and get off the plane. Please stand in formation with the rest of these guys.’ And they loaded a flag-draped coffin, right there at our feet… it was a feeling I can’t even describe to you.”
May Toby rest in peace alongside all our fallen soldiers.
To hear more favorite memories and interviews with Keith, check out Katie Neal’s in memorial segment above.
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