Toby Keith is making plans to get back on the road amid his recovery from stomach cancer.
“I’m feeling pretty good. Basically, everything is in a real positive trend,” the country singer, 61, told The Oklahoman earlier this month. “You never know with cancer, so you have to prepare.”
Keith said he wanted to see if he had the energy for a full-length show before confirming a tour. “I’ve got more wind. 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,” he continued.
The “Beer for My Horses” performer, however, is hopeful to be “out on the road” later this fall.
“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,” Keith noted. “I’m ready. That’s living.”
The Oklahoma native confirmed that he is still undergoing chemotherapy for his stomach cancer, but his blood tests have been improving and his tumor has shrunk by a third.
“I’m about another eight weeks from my last scan,” the songwriter added. “So I expect next time I look for that tumor to be even less — and I’ve only got one that’s shown up.”
The health update comes one year after Keith revealed he is stepping back to recover amid health issues. “Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer,” he wrote via Instagram in June 2022. “I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good.”
Keith, who shares three kids with wife Tricia Lucus, explained that he needed a break, adding, “I need time to breathe, recover and relax. I am looking forward to spending this time with my family.”
That same month, the “Red Solo Cup” singer thanked his fans for their response to the news. “Thank you for all your love and support,” he captioned an Instagram post. “I have the best fans in the world.”
Keith later said he was optimistic about the future amid treatment. “I’m thinking about getting back in fighting shape,” he shared during a December 2022 interview on CMT Hot 20 Countdown. “I need a little time to just rest up and heal up.”
At the time, the musician called chemotherapy and radiation “pretty debilitating” for him. “As long as everything stays hunky dory, then we’ll look at something good in the future,” he noted.
