Toby Keith Shares The Impact Of Stomach Surgery On His Vocals

Toby Keith has been battling stomach cancer since 2021.      

In June of 2022, country music legend Toby Keith shared the unsettling news that he had been battling stomach cancer since the fall of 2021. He initially kept his diagnosis private but after six months of treatment, felt comfortable sharing the news with fans saying that he will see them “sooner than later.” 

In the months that have followed, Toby Keith has been fairly transparent about his cancer journey and recovery, admitting the fear that he felt when he received the diagnosis, and sharing that he felt very weak during his iconic PCCAs performance. 

Toby Keith talks about his stomach surgery and the resulting setbacks. 

On a recent episode of The Bobby Bones Show, Toby Keith gave an update on his health as he recovers from stomach cancer treatments. When host Bobby Bones asked Toby how things were going, he responded that it is a “rollercoaster.” Toby talks about having to work on his diaphragm after surgery, sharing: 

“The thing that I had to overcome is – the surgery that I had on my stomach, they had to stitch on my diaphragm… That really is a muscle you know, so I’ve had to work that to get it. So where I sing really, really hard and really violent and loud, I didn’t have that last 10% on the bottom, where I could really just belt anything.” 

Toby maintains a positive outlook saying that things are “getting better all the time.” He adds: 

“You get to a point where you say, ‘Hey, this is what I do,’ and you can’t let it define your future.” 

 

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Toby Keith made a triumphant return to the stage in December 2023.      

The country music icon officially made his return to the stage with two sold-out shows on December 10-11 in Las Vegas. He had made a couple of small appearances in recent months, but never to sing more than one song. These shows marked his first full-length concerts in more than three years, due to the global pandemic followed by his own health crisis. 

Toby shared a series of photos to social media after the first of the two shows, reflecting:

“It was a triumphant return. One hell of a night in Vegas. Ready to do it all over again tonight. #TobyInVegas”

We are wishing Toby Keith a continued recovery!