Toby Keith Gives Fans An Update On His Health

"You get good days and, you know, you're up and down, up and down. It's always zero to 60 and 60 to zero but I feel good today."

Toby Keith gave us an update on his health on the day of the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards in Nashville. For many fans, this also was the first time they got to see Keith perform since his June 2022 announcement that he was undergoing treatment for stomach cancer—though he has had a few pop-up performances.

"I feel pretty good," Keith told E! News before the September 28 awards show at the Grand Ole Opry. "It's a little bit of a roller coaster. You get good days and, you know, you're up and down, up and down. It's always zero to 60 and 60 to zero but I feel good today." Keith reported back in June that the tumor was shrinking and things were looking positive.

During the awards show, Keith performed “Don’t Let the Old Man In” from the Clint Eastwood movie “The Mule,” a stirring song in which the "old man" is a metaphor for death. Keith urges us to "Try to love on your wife / And stay close to your friends / Toast each sundown with wine / Don't let the old man in."

"I’ve been going through my cancer fight for the last couple of years, and it’s really inspiring for a lot of people,” he said during NBC’s pre-show event. “And coming back on TV for the first time and performing live in front of a live audience, I thought it was fitting.”

Keith also received much-deserved recognition of his 30-year career when he was handed the first-ever Country Icon Award.

"I want to thank the Almighty for allowing me to be here tonight," he said during his acceptance speech. "He's been riding shotgun with me for a little while."

Keith attended the event with wife Tricia Lucus and family. We're glad to see him doing well and continuing to inspire us with his music.

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