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Country star Toby Keith, known for his hit song \u201cShould’ve Been a Cowboy,” passed away on Tuesday at the age of 62.<\/p>\n
According to a statement<\/a> on Keith\u2019s social media channels, the musician died peacefully Tuesday night \u201csurrounded by his family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe fought his fight with grace and courage,\u201d the statement added. \u201cPlease respect the privacy of his family at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n Keith announced in June 2022 that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer. During the 2022 People’s Choice Country Awards, when he received the Country Icon Award, Keith addressed<\/a> his illness and said that he was receiving chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.<\/p>\n “Cancer is a roller coaster,” he told KWTV<\/a> during an interview in January. “You just sit here and wait on it to go away \u2014 it may not ever go away.”<\/p>\n The country star noted that faith helped him navigate through that rough season of his life, CBN News<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n “You gotta have your faith,” he said. “Thank God that I got it too. You take it for granted on days when things are good and you lean on it when days are bad. It’s taught me to lean on it a little more every day.”<\/p>\n Keith also noted that he experienced a “peace that surpasses all understanding.”<\/p>\n “I finally got to a point in the Spring…I was diagnosed in October of ’21. And I was going through all the chemo and been through chemo, radiation, and surgery. And I just got to the point where I was comfortable with whatever happened. I had my brain wrapped around it and I was in a good spot, either way. People without faith don’t have that,” he said.<\/p>\n During a previous interview with Fox News Digital<\/a>, Keith shared how prayer helped him out during his cancer battle.<\/p>\n “I lean on my faith and I just pray and lean into it,” explained. “You gotta’ do what you gotta’ do, and I don’t know how people do it without faith… that’s what I did, it was my rock.”<\/p>\n In 1993, Ketih released his debut single, \u201cShould’ve Been a Cowboy\u201d which became a number 1 hit. Overall, he has sold more than 40 million albums throughout his entire music career.<\/p>\n Additionally, Keith\u2019s songs often contained patriotic themes, including “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” which he released after the 9\/11 attacks. Per\u00a0Fox News<\/a>, he also supported the U.S. military 11 USO tours to visit and play for troops stationed overseas.<\/p>\n In 2003, he released the hit song \u201c American Soldier\u201d \u00a0supporting America\u2019s military. He also raised millions of dollars for charity, including building a home in Oklahoma for kids and their families dealing with cancer.<\/p>\n He also played at events for former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. In 2021, Trump awarded him a National Medal of the Arts in 2021.<\/p>\n Keith is survived by his wife, Tricia, three children and four grandchildren.<\/p>\n Image credit: \u00a9Getty Images \/ Matt Winkelmeyer \/ Staff<\/em><\/p>\n Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n