Country music star dies of cancer

"Toby Keith passed away peacefully on the evening of February 5 surrounded by his family. He fought his battle with illness courageously" – the announcement was posted on Toby Keith's official website and other social networking sites.

Toby Keith's spokesperson since 2003, Elaine Schock, confirmed the sad news to CNN.

The country music star revealed to the public that he had stomach cancer in 2022. Many colleagues and fans expressed their condolences on social media.

Toby Keith is a singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, active since 1993. He has released 19 studio albums and several other albums, with total sales of up to 40 million copies worldwide . Combined with many successful tours, Toby Keith owns a huge fortune.

He has many hit songs, including "Beer for My Horses" (duet with Willie Nelson in 2003) and "As Good as I Once Was" in 2005. These songs have long held the number one position on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. He entered acting in 2006 and participated in several films.

In 2021, Toby Keith was awarded the National Medal of Arts by then US President Donald Trump.