RIP Toby Keith

When I think of Toby Keith I think of my life at Utah State University after my mission and my days living in California.  I was big into country music at that time in my life.  Toby Keith was a big part of my musical influences in the nineties and early 2000s.  I have all of Toby's albums from that time period.  I played them often.

Sadly, Toby Keith died yesterday at the age of 62 after battling stomach cancer for a couple of years.

Toby was diagnosed with stomach cancer in the fall of 2021.  He battled the cancer with chemotherapy and surgery but ultimately the cancer won. 

Toby was looking pretty sick lately and I'm surprised that he was able to perform a few sold-out concerts in Las Vegas in December as a last hurrah. Toby was a fighter.

Toby was a true patriot and performed many times overseas for the troops.

I don't know if Juliet will remember this but one of my favorite memories of listening to Toby Keith is when Juliet and I were driving through Long Beach, California and singing along with Toby to "My List" at the top of our lungs – just having a great time.  I also love "Should've Been a Cowboy", "Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine On You", "He Ain't Worth Missing", "Who's That Man?", "Strangers Again".  And many more.

I wasn't there but Michael and Jason changed the lyrics to "Should've Been a Cowboy" – instead making it a missionary song titled "Should've Been an Elder".  They performed it at Utah Valley State College and brought the house down according to Lisa.  She said she has it on film.  That would be fun to see again.

Toby has a great voice and is a talented songwriter.  He will be missed.

My Toby Keith catalog has been playing on iTunes all morning, and will continue to play throughout the day.

In one of his last interviews Toby mentioned that his faith is getting him through his cancer battle and it's what got him through life in general I suppose.  

"You gotta have your faith…" "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."

He also said he experienced a "peace that surpasses all understanding."

"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…"  

"I lean on my faith and I just pray and lean into it…" "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." – Toby Keith

I admire him for acknowledging his faith.  Of all of Toby's excellent qualities, his faith is his most impressive.

RIP Toby Keith.

July 8, 1961 - February 5, 2024

That's my two cents.