A poignant final video posted to country music icon Toby Keith's account hours before he died, about him returning to music, has gone viral on Instagram.
Keith, 62, died on Monday after being diagnosed with stomach cancer, surrounded by his loved ones.
A video shared to his Instagram account pictured Keith from behind at a concert where he is taking off his guitar and waving to the crowd, signaling the end of the show.
"And that's a wrap on the weekend, y'all. Back to it," the caption on the post, which has been viewed more than 8 million times, said.
Devastated fans rushed to the comments to express their grief at the singer's death.
"Thank you for Sharing Your Unbelievable Talent with All of Us. You will Never be Forgotten 💙 You fought a Hard Battle with Dignity and Strength.
Soar High My Brother Warrior 🕊 Our Heavenly Father is Awaiting you with His Loving Embrace. May you Rest in Eternal Peace. Sending Many Prayers to Your Loving Family and Friends 🙏🏻," wrote one person.
Another added: "Rest easy mate. Thanks for the music."
And a third wrote: "Rest in peace❤️😢."
Keith's family announced his death on social media.
"Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time," the message read.
He was first diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and went public with it the following year when he took an indefinite break from recording new music and performing live. But he remained committed to fundraising for his children's cancer charity, the Toby Keith Foundation.
Keith sold more than 40 million albums in his three-decade career including having hits such as, "Should've Been a Cowboy," "How Do You Like Me Now?!," "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," and "I Love This Bar."
In 2021 he was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Donald Trump and received one of his final honors in September when he was given an award at the People's Choice Country Awards.
The singer made a return to the stage in December with a string of sold-out shows in Las Vegas, which he labeled "triumphant".
"It was a triumphant return. One hell of a night in Vegas. Ready to do it all over again tonight. #TobyInVegas," Keith posted to social media after the first show.
He also revealed prior to those shows how he'd come to terms with his cancer diagnosis and would not let it get in the way of his life.
Keith remained defiant in the face of his cancer, despite not knowing how long he would live.
"I finally got it in a spot where I'm really comfortable with it. Everything's trending really well right now, and I'm not gonna let this define the rest of my life. If I live to be 100 or I don't, I'm going to go forward," he told the the Taste of Country website in November.
Keith is survived by his wife, Tricia Lucus, his three children—daughters Shelley Covel Rowland and Krystal Keith and son Stelen Keith—and four grandchildren.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more
