Toby Keith Performs for the First Time Since Stomach Cancer Diagnosis
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Toby Keith is back in his happy place.
The country star made his way back to the stage ahead of the long holiday weekend with not one, but two surprise shows, which marked his first time performing again since the reveal of his stomach cancer diagnosis.
In photos captured from both shows, the 61-year-old sings and smiles throughout the two-and-a-half-hour sets at Hollywood Corners, the bar and venue he owns in Norman, Oklahoma.
Keith even celebrated his epic comeback in a July 1 Instagram post which read, "Toby's first rehearsal turned into a 2½ hour pop-up show. He sang all the hits plus the Bus Songs…Toby is back!"
He followed up with photos from the second night’s show alongside friend and collaborator Scotty Emerick, with his official account captioning the shots, “It felt so right, Toby had to do it twice. Two nights in a row at @hollywoodcorners. Writing buddy @scottyemerick joined Toby. Nights to remember! Toby’s back!”
The excitement of seeing Keith back in his element was felt by his adoring fans, with one commenting, “It is great to see you back singing on stage I pray God keeps blessing everyday [sic],” as another noted, “So good to know you are feeling great again!”
Another fan cautioned: ”As a recent pancreatic cancer survivor my only advice is: don’t overdo it! Your fans love you and we want you to be healthy even BEFORE we want to hear/see you perform. As long as you are healthy enough, i am thrilled that you are able to perform again.”
The two back-to-back pop-up shows were Keith’s first since June 2022, when he informed fans that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.
In December 2022, he gave his first interview since publicly sharing his stomach cancer diagnosis, assuring fans that he was “getting back to fightin’ shape.”
“I need a little bit of time to just rest up and heal up,” he told CMT Hot 20 Countdown’s Cody Alan, noting his desire to return to the stage and live performances.
Earlier this summer, Keith provided a positive health update about his cancer diagnosis. On June 2, the "Beer for My Horses" singer hosted his annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic, where he spoke with local outlet The Oklahoman, noting, "I'm feeling pretty good." He added, "Basically, everything is in a real positive trend... [but] you never know with cancer, so you have to prepare."
He added that he was hopeful that he'd be “out on the road this fall” if he was able to get the energy to perform a full live show and a "little break" from his cancer treatments.
At the time, he noted, "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”—and it seems he did just that.
He also revealed that while he's still undergoing chemotherapy, his tumor has decreased in size by a third, with optimistic blood tests to match the encouraging situation.
"I expect next time I look for that tumor to be even less," he said, adding, "and I've only got one that's shown up." Keith expects to have his last scan in "about another eight weeks."
Next: Toby Keith Makes Rare Appearance at Golf Classic Charity
