Toby Keith: ‘I Feel Good’ Amid Ongoing Cancer Battle

Toby Keith said he was feeling “good” despite his ongoing battle with stomach cancer, admitting that it’s been “up and down” during a recent red carpet appearance.

Keith and his wife, Tricia Lucus, were on hand at the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards in Nashville on Thursday night (Sept. 28), where the country superstar accepted the first-ever Country Icon Award in recognition of his three-decade career. It was a rare public appearance for Keith since announcing that he was battling stomach cancer in June of 2022, and he stopped to talk to E! News, telling them that his health journey has been a “roller coaster.”

“You get good days and, you know, you’re up and down, up and down,” Keith stated, adding, “It’s always zero to 60 and 60 to zero, but I feel good today.”

Blake Shelton took the stage prior to Keith, honoring him with a performance of his hit “Who’s Your Daddy?” before giving a speech to present him with the Country Icon Award.

“I want to thank the Almighty for allowing me to be here tonight,” Keith said in his acceptance, during which he also thanked his team, his family and his fans. “You’ve been riding shotgun with me for a little while.”

Keith also hit the stage at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards, performing his song “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” which originally appeared in the Clint Eastwood movie The Mule in 2018. The haunting performance brought both Keith and his wife to tears, and it provided the most impactful moment of the ceremony on Thursday.

Keith previously told the Oklahoman in June that he hopes to return to touring by the end of 2023 if his health allows, and he’s even performed a couple of small, experimental shows in Oklahoma to see if his health will stand up to the workload.

Keith is set to release a collection of some of his best songs in an album titled 100% Songwriter, which is slated to drop via Mercury Nashville on Nov. 3.