A few days after Toby Keith teased that he might be ready to perform again after undergoing treatment for stomach cancer, including surgery, the country singer surprised fans in his home state. He performed a couple of two-and-a-half–hour pop-up gigs last Friday and Saturday at Norman, Oklahoma’s Hollywood Corners, according to The Associated Press. The artist had revealed his diagnosis in 2022.
Fan-shot video shows Keith in a thin white hoodie, dancing with a ballcap (with sunglasses perched atop the bill) as he led hundreds of excited fans through rounds of “na-na-na-na-na.” The artist, who will turn 62 this week, strummed his acoustic and flexed his baritone voice as he traded lines with the crowd.
“I’m gonna keep on doing all these Number One hits I wrote,” he told the crowd with a look of pride on Friday before “He Ain’t Worth Missing.”
The set list on Saturday included hits like “Who’s That Man,” “American Life,” “You Ain’t Much Fun,” “Whiskey Girl,” and “I Love This Bar,” as well as a cover of Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold.” The performance was animated and rousing, even in ballads like his cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
Fans told The Oklahoman after the gigs that Keith seemed emotional about the turnout. “He seemed a little taken aback that that many people were there,” a woman named Joanna Hall told the paper. “He was like, ‘This was supposed to be a secret. … This was a bigger secret than what I intended.’”
Last week, Keith told The Oklahoman he was feeling well, describing his status as on a “positive trend.” “I expect next time I look for that tumor to be even less,” he said, “and I’ve only got one that’s shown up.” In the interview, he revealed he was ready to get onstage again. “I’ve got more wind,” he said. “And I’m thinking about bringing the band in and setting up, playing two or three days somewhere just to see if I can get through two hours.”
The way he teased, it seemed like these concerts would be a test. “All I gotta do is see if I can get through two or three nights of work and get a little break in this chemo, and we’ll go back to work,” he said. “I’m ready. That’s living.” From the footage that’s surfaced from the gigs, he’s living well.