Well, howdy folks, let’s talk about this Toby Keith fella. Heard he kicked the bucket, real shame, that stomach cancer got him. Folks are whisperin’, was he one of them alcoholics? Now, I ain’t no doctor, can’t say for sure, but I’ll tell ya what I know, what I heard tell around the ol’ potbelly stove.
Toby Keith, a big ol’ country star, he sang them songs, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” and that other one, “As Good as I Once Was.” Yep, real toe-tappers, them were. He was from Oklahoma, a real cowboy state, or so they say. I ain’t never been there myself, too busy milkin’ cows and tendin’ the chickens.
Heard he was a good fella, always supportin’ the soldiers, even though he wasn’t one hisself. His daddy was, I reckon that’s where he got it from. Respect, that’s what the young’uns need these days. Not all that loud music and fancy gadgets.
Now, about that drinkin’… See, they say stomach cancer, sometimes it comes from too much drinkin’ and smokin’. Doctors, them fancy fellas, they say it ain’t always the booze, but sometimes it is. I remember ol’ Jed down the road, he drank like a fish, always had a jug in his hand. He got sick too, same kinda thing. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
- They say Toby fought it hard, that cancer. Two years, they say. That’s a long time to be sufferin’. Poor fella.
- He even got some fancy medal, National Medal of Arts they called it. Don’t know what that is, but sounds important. Guess he was more than just a singer, huh?
- Heard he was peaceful at the end, surrounded by his family. That’s a blessin’, I reckon. Nobody wants to die alone.
Folks loved his music, that’s for sure. Heard it on the radio sometimes, when I was out in the fields. Catchy tunes, even for an old lady like me. But that don’t mean he wasn’t fond of the bottle. A lot of them singers are, you know. Hard livin’, that’s what they call it. Singin’ and drinkin’ and carryin’ on.
I ain’t sayin’ Toby Keith was a drunk, mind you. Just sayin’ it’s a possibility. Folks talk, you know. And where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. Or maybe just a whole lot of gossip. Hard to tell sometimes. But that stomach cancer, it does make you wonder. Makes you think about them choices we make in life.
He gave his last interview last September, seemed like a good man. Talked about how “magnificent” things were. Imagine that, knowing you’re sick and still finding good in the world. Makes you think, doesn’t it? Maybe he wasn’t perfect, maybe he had his demons, but who are we to judge? We all got our own crosses to bear.
So, was Toby Keith an alcoholic? Like I said, I don’t know for sure. But I do know this: he was a country legend, a man who loved his family and his country. He fought a hard battle, and he did it with grace and courage, that’s what they said. And that’s more than most folks can say. Rest in peace, Toby Keith. You’ll be missed.
Anyways, that’s all I got to say about that. Time to go feed the chickens. They get mighty grumpy if they ain’t fed on time. You take care now, ya hear?
Tags: Toby Keith, alcoholic, country music, stomach cancer, death, singer, songwriter, Oklahoma, legend, health
