Remembering Toby Keith: Prime Country Becomes Toby Radio

Country music singer-songwriter Toby Keith passed away yesterday (February 5, 2024) at age 62 following a 2022 diagnosis of stomach cancer. According to a statement posted on his website, Toby “fought his fight with grace and courage.”

We’re celebrating Toby’s life and music with Toby Radio, taking over Prime Country (Ch. 58) on car radios and the SiriusXM app through February 11.

Hear more of Toby’s music on Y2Kountry (Ch. 57).

Other country music stars and figures filled social media with their condolences for Toby and his family this morning.

“Damn, RIP Toby. Can’t believe it,” Luke Combs posted.

Zach Bryan wrote, “Too many rides in my old man’s car listening to Toby Keith. Really hard thing to hear. Rest in peace friend we love you.”

Related: Toby Keith Receives People’s Choice ‘Country Icon’ Award

Even Kevin Stitt, Governor of Oklahoma, shared, “America lost a legend today. Toby Keith helped make Oklahoma the coolest place in the nation.”

(L-R) Al Skop, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton and Buzz Brainard at the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 14, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty Images)

Born July 8, 1961, in Clinton, OK, Toby began his rise to prominence in country music with the release of his self-titled debut album in 1993 with Mercury Records. The album contained his first number-one single, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” which received over 3 million spins on the radio. He released 19 studio albums throughout his three-decade-long career (plus six compilation albums and two Christmas albums) and had 20 number-one singles. The American Country Awards named Toby the Artist of the Decade in 2011.

In 2021, President Donald Trump awarded Toby with the National Medal of Arts. The following year, Toby revealed he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, referring to the disease as “pretty debilitating” in press release.