Toby Keith was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame one day after his death
Toby Keith.
Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesToby Keiths the memory will live on in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
On Monday March 18, Sara Trahernthe CEO of the Country Music Association, announced that Keith, Johannes Anderson And James Burton would be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. During her announcement, Trahern noted that she received the voting results a day after Keith died on February 5 after a battle with stomach cancer.
“My heart sank knowing that we had missed the opportunity to inform Toby while he was still with us. But I have no doubt he’s smiling down on us, knowing he’ll be ‘as good as he ever was,’” Trahern said Monday, referencing Keith’s 2005 hit single, “As Good As I Once Was.”
Keith’s family announced on February 6 that the musician had passed away after a battle with stomach cancer.
Toby Keith established himself as one of country music’s most legendary stars before his death in 2024. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Keith started playing in local bars as a member of the Easy Money Band. Later, Keith took his talents to Nashville, signing his first recording contract and releasing his debut single “Should’ve” […]
“Toby Keith passed away peacefully last night, February 5, surrounded by his family. He fought his battle with grace and courage,” said a statement shared on social media. “Please respect his family’s privacy at this time.”
Several stars paid tribute to the late artist, including a former NFL player Brett Favre which alluded to his last conversation with Keith.
“I think in the end he was just tired. He also said that to me during our conversation. He said, ‘Brett, whatever happens, I’m fine with it,'” Favre recalled their last conversation with TMZ Sports on February 7, adding that he kept in touch with Keith every “about three” months while the singer battled cancer.
Favre further explained that shortly before his death, Keith complained about the effects of chemotherapy.
“He said, ‘I stopped chemotherapy and it probably did more damage to me than the cancer,’” Favre told the outlet. “And he said, ‘I just hope I didn’t quit too late, but… I’m grateful I got the chance to play some shows. I finished them.’ [Toby] handled it with grace, faith and family. And stood up to the cancer as best he could. He was an entertainer. He was the best.”
Keith’s old rep Elaine Schock also spoke about the musician after his death, noting that Keith was often “misunderstood.”
“I loved Toby Keith,” Schock wrote in a statement on February 6. “He was brilliant, fun to be with and we had some robust discussions. Moreover, he could write and sing very well. Toby was nice. I think he was misunderstood because he was painted a certain way, but that was an incorrect portrait. He was so much more. He was certainly one of the bravest men I knew.”
After announcing his stomach cancer diagnosis in the fall of 2021, Keith explained in June 2022 that he was taking a break from performing and making new music.
“I need time to breathe, recover and relax,” he wrote online in June 2022. “I’m looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I’ll see the fans sooner rather than later. I can not wait.”
Keith is survived by his wife Tricia Lucuswhom he married in 1984, their three children and four grandchildren.