2023 Country Music Icon Award For Toby Keith: Emotional Acceptance Speech By Legend Battling Stomach Cancer

Toby Keith

Toby Keith received the first Country Music Icon Award for 2023 in Nashville. He also spoke about his two-year battle with stomach cancer in his acceptance speech. He also performed at the awards, singing Don’t Let The Old Man In, in his inimitable style.

Despite his painful battle with the disease, Toby Keith has kept his spirits high. The country superstar stepped out on September 28 to attend the first People’s Choice Country Awards. The vent was held in Nashville at the landmark Grand Ole Opry. Toby Keith was in a dark suit, a white shirt, and his trademark cowboy hat. The 62-year-old was with Tricia Lucus, his wife, as he posed for pics before talking about his health.

Toby Keith Said Despite A Roller Coaster Ride, He Felt Good At The Moment

Keith said that he felt ‘pretty good,’ after his diagnosis of stomach cancer in 2021. He termed his journey for the past two years as a roller coaster ride. There were both good and bad days. He said it was like zero to sixty and back again. However, he felt better now, Toby Keith informed his fans. It was an eventful evening for the Should’ve Been a Cowboy singer. It was his 1st Country Icon Award at the ceremony.

Toby Keith also crooned Don’t Let The Old Man In from The Mule by Clint Eastwood. He said that the song had a similarity with his battle with cancer. He said that it has been a battle for the past two years and the song was an inspiration for many people. He said he found it fitting to sing this song after returning to television and performing before a live audience.

Toby Keith acknowledged that it felt nice to accept the awards and the honor. He said the last three decades went by pretty fast, and he had worked throughout. A video montage showed him through his career. Toby Keith had shared a medical update in June where he let on that the tumor had shrunk a third and his blood tests had come out positive.