Days after Toby Keith passed away from stomach cancer, his friends and fans continue to share their stories and favorite memories of the outspoken country music star. Keith was 62 when he died “peacefully while surrounded by family” on February 5. Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre opened up about the singer’s long and brave battle with cancer, revealing that he’d been concerned about his longtime friend and that Keith told him two weeks before his death that he’d quit chemotherapy.
Brett Favre spoke to TMZ Sports about his final conversation with Toby Keith, saying that he generally checked in on the country music icon about every three months amid his ongoing cancer battle. After seeing videos of Keith’s final performances in Las Vegas in December, Favre said he became concerned about his buddy’s well-being and gave him a call. The QB recalled:
I sent him a message and said, ‘Hey man, great to see you back up and playing, and I’m hoping that you’re turning the corner,’ and he said, ‘I quit chemo. It probably did more damage to me than the cancer did.’ And he said, ‘I’m just hoping I didn’t quit it too late. But I’m thankful I got a chance to play some shows. I finished them.’ I didn’t ask him, you know, ‘What’s the future hold for you?’ and he didn’t divulge anything. We just had a general conversation, and gosh darn it, two weeks later, he’s passed away.
While it’s heartbreaking to hear how hard the chemotherapy treatments were on Toby Keith, there’s some comfort to be found in how happy it made the singer that he was able to get back on stage again before his death. In December, Keith played three sold-out concerts at Dolby Live at Park MGM, where lucky fans got to see his final live renditions of hits like “Red Solo Cup” and “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.”
Brett Favre recalled his family’s own battle with cancer, as his wife Deanna was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. She made a full recovery, but Favre understands how hard that can be on a person and their family, and he said Toby Keith faced his battle with strength and courage. Favre said:
In Toby’s case, I don’t know if he could have done anything any different. You know, he put on a brave front. I know that he went from 260 [pounds] to 130, and in the end I think he was just tired. He did say that to me when we had our conversation. He said, ‘Brett, I’m just, whatever happens, I’m OK with it.’ And of course I was hoping that what happened wouldn’t have happened. But he handled it with grace, faith and family, and stood up to cancer about as good as you can.
It’s obvious this is a tough loss for Brett Favre to come to terms with. Blake Shelton expressed similar thoughts in his own heartbreaking tribute to Toby Keith, writing on Instagram that even know he was aware of what the last few months had held for his fellow country music star, he was not prepared for the news of his death.
Our condolences continue to go out to those affected by the loss of Toby Keith.
