Stomach cancer, a fatal car crash, and a deadly tornado that hit close to home:
Country singer Toby Keith has had many victories, but he's also faced hardship along the way.
Toby Keith's first encounter with tragedy was more than 20 years ago. Keith's father,
Hubert Covel Jr., 67, died on the scene of a car accident in 2001 after his vehicle
collided with a bus. According to The Oklahoman, Covel was on his way home from
a barbeque when the accident occurred. Toby initially thought that his father's vehicle
may have collided with the bus after he lost control of the car, telling the Oklahoman,
"I hate to speculate, but I think he had a stroke. It was early part
of the afternoon, time for him to cat around."
The Keith family later learned that the accident may have been caused by the
negligence of Rodriguez Transportes of Tulsa, the company that owned the bus involved in the
collision. This resulted in a lawsuit in which the family was awarded $2.8 million.
A jury decided the accident may have not occurred if Rodriguez Transportes of Tulsa
had complied after an inspector revealed the vehicle's brakes needed to be changed.
Although the Keith family won this case,
they are likely still coping with the tragic loss of a loved one.
Toby Keith's hometown of Moore, Oklahoma has experienced a great deal of tragedy over the
years, and the musician seemed to be deeply impacted by watching his community suffer.
In 2013, Moore was hit by a deadly tornado that killed 24 people and destroyed around 300 homes.
"This is extremely dangerous. This is very dangerous."
Following the tragedy, Keith issued a statement in support of those affected by the tornado, writing,
"This storm has devastated the community that I grew up in. I rode my bike through
those neighborhoods. I have family and friends in Moore."
"What's it like for you to see this place like this?"
"Ain't nothing I've seen before."
The star later helped raise money for tornado victims by performing at the
Oklahoma Twister Relief Concert in 2013. He was joined by several other musicians,
including fellow Oklahoma native Garth Brooks and Carrie Underwood.
Keith showed just how close Moore is to his heart again in 2020 when he spoke out
in support of teenage runners who were hit and killed by a driver. The driver
responsible for the hit-and-run accident took the lives of 3 teenagers and injured 3 others.
"This was an incredible group of kids, uh, that were, uh, that were victimized yesterday."
Keith later responded to the incident by tweeting:
"Prayers needed for comfort and strength to the families and
kids of Moore Oklahoma after a terrible tragedy."
The driver who caused the crash, Max Townsend,
was sentenced to prison for the rest of his life in 2021.
In July 2017, tragedy struck even closer to home when Toby's daughter,
Krystal Keith, was in a near-fatal wreck.
"Toby Keith's daughter Krystal Keith was in a car crash on July 4."
Krystal Keith took to Facebook to detail the scary incident, writing,
"Our 4th turned pretty horrific. Hensley, Drew and I were on the
way to watch fireworks on the 4th. A drunk driver almost took the lives of
my entire family. We all survived the wreck but it's gonna take some time to heal. Keep
us in your prayers. Hug your babies and spouses tight. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE."
Toby later reflected on the crash during an interview with Rare
Country. He explained that the build of Krystal's vehicle kept her and her
family safe despite the severity of the accident. He also shared,
"It's good that they weren't on the interstate,
were probably only traveling 50 and had time to hit the brakes."
This incident was traumatizing for Toby and his family, but the singer
was relieved to find out the crash wasn't as devastating as it could have been.
Toby Keith and the late musician and NBA player Wayman Tisdale had a seemingly unbreakable bond.
Like Keith, Wayman also spent his early years in Oklahoma and had a strong love for music.
Wayman's wife, Regina Tisdale, spoke to Pivot Point magazine about the musicians' friendship.
She shared that the two first met at a college basketball game in Oklahoma. Malachi Gross,
Wayman's assistant, also spoke about the duo's bond, saying,
"There was no facade whatsoever in the room with Wayman and Toby.
Their relationship was completely natural."
When Wayman died of bone cancer in 2009, Keith decided to write the song,
"Cryin' For Me" in honor of his late friend. The musician told
Regina at Wayman's funeral that he had written the song for her husband,
and he later played the song for her to get her approval. When Regina met with Keith to
hear the song for the first time, the encounter was incredibly emotional. She said of the moment,
"I sat listening to it, and cried and cried. They came back in when the song was almost finished,
and Tricia stood there with me. He captured the very essence,
the spirit of Wayman. I said, 'You've captured Wayman without ever saying his name.'"
In June 2022, Toby Keith announced he had been secretly battling a life-threatening illness.
The musician shared a statement across his verified social media platforms that
revealed he had been receiving treatment for stomach cancer since 2021, writing,
"Last fall, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I've spent the last 6 months receiving chemo,
radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe,
recover, and relax. I am looking forward to spending this time with
my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can't wait."
It seems that the singer is acting on his words by prioritizing his health,
because he also canceled his 2022 tour. According to Taste of Country,
Keith's team confirmed all tour dates are canceled indefinitely despite speculation that the musician
would only cancel some shows. Keith mentioned in his statement that treatment had been going well,
but many fans are likely still concerned for the star's well-being. Stomach cancer has a 5-year
survival rate spanning 70% to 6%, depending on how far the cancer has spread. For now,
we don't know where Keith falls on this spectrum, but hopefully, he makes a full recovery.