Revisiting Toby Keith’s Heartfelt Speech, Unforgettable ‘Don’t Let the Old Man Walk In’ Performance

As country fans mourn the death of Toby Keith, many are looking back on his touching speech and unforgettable performance at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards in September. Keith, who “passed peacefully” Monday at 62, announced in June 2022 that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer. A little more than a year later, the “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” singer was presented with the Country Icon Award at the People’s Choice Country Awards, where he performed a tear-jerking rendition of “Don’t Let the Old Man Walk In.”

Accepting his award from fellow Oklahoman Blake Shelton, Keith joked of his cancer-related weight loss, “I bet you never thought y’all’d see me in skinny jeans.” He continued, “I want to thank the Almighty for allowing me to be here tonight, he’s been riding shotgun with me for a little while now.” Keith would go on to thank his “beautiful family” for their support as well as all the members of his team. “Most of all, I want to thank the fans for still allowing us to do what we do,” he concluded. “Have a wonderful evening, thank you!” 

That same evening, Keith told E! News he was feeling “pretty good” although his cancer diagnosis was “a little bit of a roller coaster.” He told the outlet at the time, “You get good days and, you know, you’re up and down, up and gown. It’s always zero to 60 and 60 to zero but I feel good today.” 

On Feb. 6, Keith’s family announced that he had “passed peacefully last night on Feb. 5 surrounded by his family,” writing on X (formerly Twitter), “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.” The country icon first went public with his stomach cancer battle in June 2022 after being diagnosed in fall 2021. “Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer,” he posted on X. “I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.”

In December, Keith announced he would be headlining at Park MGM in Las Vegas, performing on such a large scale for the first time since his diagnosis. “It’s been a while. You know what I’ve been doing – been on the old rollercoaster, but Almighty’s riding shotgun. He’s letting me drive for some reason, but we’re making a big announcement,” he said on YouTube at the time. “I’m doing a little deal and thought I’d start in the great Las Vegas.”

“It’ll be my first two shows. They’re kind of rehab shows – get the band back in sync, get me rolling again,” Keith added. “First time in my whole life I’ve been off over two years. I’ve never been off a year in my life.” The “As Good as I Once Was” singer noted, “Through COVID and cancer, the old devil’s been after me a little bit. I’ve got him by the horns right now, so instead of just sitting around and waiting, we’re gonna get the band back together.”