Last year, celebrated crooner Toby Keith announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer. At the time, he was already undergoing treatment. Luckily, the country star has not walked the recovery journey in solitude as his family cares for him. He spends his time at his magnificent Oklahoma ranch, where he recuperates.
Toby Keith Covel, known professionally as Toby Keith, is one of the greatest country music singers and songwriters of all time. He has had a prolific career as an actor, best known for films such as “Broken Bridges,” and as a singer with 32 #1 singles since he released his debut album in 1993.
Over the years, he has performed hundreds of shows in his homeland and internationally, gaining fame within and across the US borders. Some of his most famous hit singles include “I Wanna Talk About Me,” “Red Solo Cup,” and even the famous “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American), a song released in the aftermath of 9/11 that made him a global sensation.
Toby Keith performs onstage for the BMI Icon Award during the 2022 BMI Country Awards at BMI on November 08, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.| Source: Getty Images
He also received one of the highest awards given to art patrons and artists by the US government — the National Medal of Arts — given to him by former US President Donald Trump while he was still in office.
Despite such an eclectic singing CV, Toby has also suffered monumental challenges. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2021, announcing the news on his Twitter and Instagram pages. At the time of the announcement, he revealed that he had been receiving treatment for six months and had already been through chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.
In the post dated June 12, 2022, the singer shared the thrilling news that he was already reacting very well to the treatment, writing:
“So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover, and relax.”
He shared that he would spend his recovery time with family, even as he looked forward to returning to the stage. “I am looking forward to spending time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.” He added.
In a follow-up post, the singer thanked his fans and supporters for their love and support, noting that he had the best fans in the world.
In December 2022, six months after his first post, the music legend gave a health update during an interview with CMT Hot 20 Countdown, where he expressed his optimism about the future, stating that he needed a little more time to rest and heal before he could return to the stage.
While it was incredibly draining to go through treatment, he hoped everything would go okay and was looking forward to a promising future. He revealed he was thinking about returning to fighting shape.
Despite his illness, the actor did not sit home and sulk. In November 2022, he surprised fans at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky, with a legendary performance of Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama,” and his very own “I Love This Bar.”
Jeff Ruby, the steakhouse owner, praised Toby for his performance despite battling cancer and even posted a photo of the show on Twitter.
Even though the celebrated crooner had not performed in nearly a year, his performance at Jeff Ruby’s was an exciting way of making his baby steps back to the stage. And despite looking thinner than his usual self, he performed for an hour and even did a duet with Jeff.
On April 26, 2023, a close friend of Toby, John Daly, gave an update on the singer’s health, noting that Toby still had three more treatments to go but was doing alright. John asked fans to pray for Toby and anyone who has cancer, as dealing with such an illness was not easy.
Toby Keith’s Family Has Always Been There for Him and Remains Substantial in His Healing Journey
Just as he has been there for fans with his enticing and entertaining music over the decades, Toby has not been alone during his characteristic fight with cancer. His family has been very substantial in helping him through his most trying times.
But who are these family members that held his hand through the thick dark times? His wife and kids are the strength under his wings — and have been even long before the heartbreaking diagnosis.
Toby has been married to his lovely wife, Tricia Lucus, since 1984. The pair’s paths first crossed in 1981 in a nightclub in Oklahoma, with Toby’s big personality being what attracted Tricia to him. She retold:
“I was 19, and he was 20. He was just one of those larger-than-life guys, full of confidence.”
Soon after meeting, they danced together and started dating shortly after. The rest, as they say, is history. They married three years later and are doting parents to their three children, two daughters and a son.
Their eldest daughter is Shelley Covel Rowland. Shelley, born in 1980, is Tricia’s daughter from a previous relationship but who the singer-songwriter adopted and has raised as his own since he married her mother.
Unlike her dad, who thrives in the spotlight, Shelley has maintained a low-key life away from the limelight. She has, however, appeared publicly on rare occasions with her parents, such as during the 2015 SwingDish launch event in Las Vegas.
While not much information is available about her career or family life, what remains certain is that she is a mom of two, making Toby a granddad.
Toby’s secondborn is daughter Krystal Keith, born in 1987. Like her dad, Krystal leaned towards a career in entertainment and is also a country singer. She first gained fame after performing “Mockingbird” from her dad’s 2004 album “Greatest Hits 2.” The dad-daughter duo also enjoys performing together from time to time.
Krystal graduated from the University of Oklahoma, signing a record deal with Show Dog-Universal Music shortly after. Over the years, she has released some epic tunes, with her “Daddy Dance With Me” topping the list.
Krystal is a mother of two girls, Kirby Kaye and Hensley Jack Sandubrae, who she shares with her husband, Andrew Robert Sandubrae, who she married in 2010.
Despite a family and career of her own, Krystal has an enviable relationship with her dad and says Toby was so present in her life that she fails to remember the times when he was away.
Toby’s youngest is son Stelen Keith, born in 1997. Between 2017 and 2020, Stelen ran Nostalgic Lights, a concert booking company he co-founded. He also owns 405 Burger Bar, a bar and grill-style restaurant in Oklahoma.
He walked down the aisle with his longtime girlfriend, Haley, in 2021, in Boulder City, Nevada, with Stelen sharing plenty of snaps from his big day.
He also shared an incredible bond with his dad, with the numerous photos of him and his dad on his Instagram acting as evidence of their close bond.
In addition to being a doting father to his three babies, Toby is also a grandfather of four — Shelley’s two and Krystal’s two.
Even as he counts on his family’s support during his recovery, Keith has also extended grace to others in similar situations. He still runs the Toby Keith Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps sick children with cancer. It was founded in 2006, long before his diagnosis, and has continued to grow.
In 2014, the foundation opened OK Kids Korral, a cost-free convenient, and comfortable home for pediatric cancer patients receiving treatment from various facilities and their families.
Even as he aims to keep families strong and together during the difficult periods of caring for their sick kids, his help is not limited to children. He also extends his generosity by singing for veterans to honor them for their service.
On March 29, he posted a throwback video of the previous year where he did a show for the Vietnam Veterans, captioned: “To all the Vietnam veterans out there, thank you for your service. Welcome home.”
His kind, giving, and selfless nature is why he has touched so many hearts and remains beloved by everyone he crosses paths with. When the news of his diagnosis became public, many friends took to social media to wish him a quick recovery, with many more requesting fans to pray hard for the star.
British writer, C. S. Lewis, made a Twitter post asking God to grant Keith healing mercy and rid his body of cancer so he could continue a life full of adventure with his family. On the other hand, Australian-American commentator Nick Adams also put up a post asking his fans to pray for the singer, adding that if there ever was a person that would beat cancer, he believed it was Toby.
Toby Keith’s Magnificent Ranch, Where He Is Regaining His Strength
Toby started small, and as Tricia once recalled, things were so tough initially that they had to deal with insistent creditors hounding them. Even so, Tricia always believed in her husband’s music dream, even though it took a while to bear fruit. But when he released the single “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” things changed.
Tricia Lucus and Toby Keith attend the 34th Annual Nashville Symphony Ball at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on December 8, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. | Source: Getty Images
It became one of the most-played songs of the 90s, propelling Toby into unprecedented fame. He became an instantaneous celebrity and bagged numerous accolades and endorsements that have since seen him establish an array of successful businesses.
His Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, a legally operating eatery in Las Vegas, once rated among the 50 highest-grossing eateries in the country. He also started a liquor line and invested in million-dollar homes.
A view of Toby Keith’s home in the background | Source: YouTube/AXS TV
One of his properties is a 3428-square-foot home sitting in the opulent Nashville’s West End Avenue estate, as well as a 10,000-square-foot home in Oklahoma.
In the past year-and-a-half, his Oklahoma mansion has been his haven as he recovers from cancer. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom home in Norman, Oklahoma, boasts several unique features, including a wine cellar and a beautiful backyard with a half-moon pool.
A view of Toby Keith’s Oklahoma home | Source: YouTube/AXS TV
In addition to providing a befitting space for the family to kick back and relax, the backyard is also the perfect spot for jamming to some of his hit tunes. “I Love This Bar” was performed by two singers strumming acoustic guitars beside the pool.
The home also features a golf course, a hot tub, and a garage laden with vintage cars, some of which include but are not limited to a seventy- three Cutlass, a sixty-three Chevy Impala, and a 100-year-old Diner.
A view of Toby Keith’s garage in his Oklahoma home | Source: YouTube/AXS TV
The home’s interior is a piece of art, boasting beautiful hardwood floors and high ceilings likened to a 19th-century castle.
The kitchen is enormous to facilitate the preparation of big family dinners. It also features elegantly designed restrooms and an overall architectural design that gives the home its elegant look. The house is, however, not the only property on the 160-acre ranch.
A view of Toby Keith’s Oklahoma ranch | Source: YouTube/AXS TV
The ranch has several businesses, including a cool old roadhouse venue called the Hollywood Corner, converted from an old gas station, where people come, sit at the back, and enjoy live band night while eating sandwiches and drinking homemade soups to their fill.
The home that has become a haven for Toby and his family for years took a long time to turn into the architectural beauty it is today. Toby confessed that it took his dad three years and two bulldozers to clean up after the repairs and renovations.
However, all the work put into the property has paid off. The trees and greenery have turned it into a sight to behold and are nothing short of breathtaking. For someone dealing with an illness such as his, the serenity and quite nature surrounding him, as well as his caring family could be what he needs to help in his recovery journey.
