Toby Keith is a renowned country singer recently celebrated with an icon award at the People’s Choice Country Awards.The singer announced that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer. He revealed that he had spent six months undergoing chemoradiation and surgery. Keith let his fans know that he needed to take time to “breathe” and looked forward to spending time with his family.
During this time, he has had the support of his family and wife, Tricia Lucus. The couple met before Keith became the country sensation he is today.After graduating high school, Keith had a job as an oil field worker, where he earned $50,000 a year. He still did his best to pursue his music career by performing at local clubs with his band “Easy Money.”
At one of the clubs, he met his wife. She was 19 and Keith 20, but Lucus loved his confidence. The two dated for three years before tying the knot in 1984. Things were not easy, the oil industry was shitting down, and Keith had to put all his eggs into his music career.
He started performing regionally with his band, and through the ups and downs, he promised his wife that his big break would come soon. That day came in 1994 when Keith’s self-titled album went platinum.
The singer’s song “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” became the most-played country song of the ’90s but, Keith won no awards for the album. However, that did not deter him from writing high-charting hits.His first album might not have gotten the award, but today, Keith is recognized as a country icon. Fans of the “I Love This Bar” singer got to see him perform after he announced his cancer diagnosis.
The Performance That Got His Wife Emotional
While performing at the People’s Choice Country Awards, Keith had the crowd in awe, but his wife was emotional while she watched her husband on stage.
Lucus was seen whipping tears off her face with a smile of pride on her face. Despite being celebrated as an icon of country music, Keith still remained humble.During his interview, he was asked if he felt like an icon, and the singer said he felt old because he had been in the business for 30 years. He also credited everyone behind the scenes that have made his career possible.When he got the call, he felt honored and grateful to look back at all the things he had achieved. Keith was also asked how he felt, and he said it was a rollercoaster, but he felt better.
In another update regarding his cancer diagnosis, Keith said, “I feel pretty good.” It was also reported that his tumor had shrunk by a third of its size. Regardless, the singer still said some days were better than others.