Country music icon Toby Keith is back in the saddle as he faces his battle with stomach cancer. The 62-year-old artist thrilled fans with the announcement of his upcoming performances.
Fans can mark their calendars for December 10 and 11 when the performances are set to take place at Dolby Live Park MGM Las Vegas. Ticket sales will commence at 10 a.m. on October 27 and will be available on ticketmaster.com.
In a video shared on Instagram, Keith revealed that he will be headlining two live shows in Las Vegas in December. He stated that these concerts are aimed at “getting the band back in sync and getting himself rolling again.”
Keith affectionately referred to these shows as “rehab” gigs, providing him with an opportunity to rekindle his connection with the stage. Following his stomach cancer diagnosis in the fall of 2021, the singer-songwriter took a two-year hiatus from music. However, he has made a series of recent public appearances, including two pop-up concerts in Oklahoma and an appearance at the People’s Choice Country Awards in Nashville.
In his Instagram video announcing the shows, Keith shared insight into his ongoing battle with cancer and how he’s been managing it.
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“I’ve been on the old rollercoaster. But Almighty’s riding shotgun; he’s letting me drive for some reason,” he expressed. “I was going to sit around here and do nothing like I have been. Or (I can) get up, go outside. Don’t let the old man in, you know what I mean?”
He continued, “(This is the) first time in my whole life I’ve been off over two years. I’ve never been off a year in my life. And through COVID and cancer, old devil’s been at me a little bit. I’ve got him by the horns right now, so instead of just sitting around and waiting, we’re going to get the band back together.”
The People’s Choice Country Awards in September honored Keith with the 2023 Country Icon Award. During the event, he delivered his first televised performance since publicly sharing his cancer diagnosis in June 2022. He sang “Don’t Let the Old Man,” a song featured in Clint Eastwood’s 2018 film, “The Mule.”
Reflecting on his health journey, Keith shared with E! News, “I feel pretty good. It’s a little bit of a roller coaster. You get good days and, you know, you’re up and down.”
