‘Outlaw With a Big Heart’

Brooks & Dunn are mourning the loss of their old friend, Toby Keith. The country icon died on Monday (Feb. 5) after an 18-month battle with stomach cancer.

The duo took turns sharing their thoughts of Keith in a post on their duo’s social media page.

“A troubadour gone too soon,” Ronnie Dunn writes. “We played together, we sang together. He was a friend, ornery, rough, tough, kind and loyal … if he liked you. A rascal, an outlaw with a big heart.”

“He was opinionated, usually his way of the highway,” he continues. “A patriot that acted, didn’t just talk it. He was a loyal husband and proud loving father. He was a big man, a fighter … in the end life wins.”

“Give ’em hell up there, my friend,” he concludes before offering his condolences to Keith’s wife and family.

Kix Brooks describes Keith as someone who “called ‘a spade a spade’ plain and simple — always.” He recalls first time the pair met — he remembers Keith was wearing a blue leather suit, and that the two hit it off.

“We asked him to come on tour with us somewhere in the late ’90s, along with Keith Urban, and I’ll never forget after our first show together, he said ‘We’ve got to find a place to play,'” Brooks reminisces. “After that we would go find a house band after every show and burn ’til the flame was gone.”

“He was a relentless participant in every aspect of his life — performing, writing, golf, hanging with his friends, along with his dedication to the military and the red white and blue,” Brooks says, “But he always put his loyalty and love of God and family first.”

“He was one of those guys I just assumed would always be there — HOF cowboy heart — RIP big man.”

How Did Toby Keith Die?

Keith died Feb. 5, 2024, at the age of 62-year-old. The country icon first announced his stomach cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2022. He vowed to continue to perform for as long as he could. He sang “Don’t Let the Old Man In” at the People’s Choice Country Awards in September 2023, followed by a handful of sold-out shows in Las Vegas in December 2023.

He is survived by his wife, Tricia, whom he married in 1984. He leaves behind his children, Shelley, Krystal and Stelen, as well as four grandchildren.

Country music has been mourning Keith’s passing, with several artists sharing memories and condolences on social media.