Doing What You Love Amid Cancer
- Despite his ongoing battle with stomach cancer, Toby Keith is honoring his favorite self-written songs with the release of his new album titled, “100% Songwriter.” A collection of his solo-written hits will be available on November 3, 2023.
- Toby Keith has been battling stomach cancer since 2021. According to the National Cancer Institute, stomach or gastric cancer begins in the cells lining the stomach.
- While we haven’t been updated on Keith’s prognosis, if his tumor continued shrinking since his scans during the summer, he could be in an even better place by the time his album is released.
- If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, remember to try not to let it define you. One way to do this is by finding things you enjoy and tapping into them, like Toby Keith. Taking care of your emotional health is important during the cancer journey as well.
- We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, previously told SurvivorNet.
“The Red Solo Cup” singer, who has been battling stomach cancer since 2021, announced the exciting news about his upcoming studio album this week—revealing the collection of his solo-written hits will be available on November 3, 2023.
Featured on the album, is a compilation of 13 self-written songs. The track list is as follows:
- “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” from Toby Keith
- “He Ain’t Worth Missin’,” from Toby Keith
- “Wish I Didn’t Know Now,” Toby Keith
- “Who’s That Man?,” Boomtown
- “Big Ol’ Truck,” Boomtown
- “Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine On You,” Blue Moon
- “Country Comes To Town,” How Do You Like Me Now?!
- “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This,” How Do You Like Me Now?!
- “Courtesy Of The Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” Unleashed
- “Who’s Your Daddy?,” Unleashed
- “Stays In Mexico,” Greatest Hits 2
- “Honkytonk U,” Honkytonk U
- “Crash Here Tonight,” White Trash With Money
Toby prides himself on being a songwriter first and foremost…so what better way to celebrate his songwriting accomplishments than to release an album of songs he wrote alone? 100% Songwriter, a compilation of 13 self-penned songs, is now available for pre-order! Available on… pic.twitter.com/fEqdG0LRkI
— Toby Keith (@tobykeith) September 21, 2023
Fans were ecstatic about the news, with one supporter commenting on Keith’s Instagram post announcing the album, “Everyone stay calm. It’s happening!!!!” and another writing, “@tobykeith is one of the best songwriters of all time! I just love every dang song he does!”
In a followup post, Keith’s social media pages shared a video clip of his “Who’s Your Daddy?” music video, which was originally released in August 2002.
The post read, “Toby just released the remastered ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ music video, one of the tracks from his forthcoming 100% Songwriter album that will be available 11/3. Check it out and make sure you pre-order the new album at the link in bio!”
Expert Stomach Cancer Resources
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- Remembering Legendary Western Actor John Wayne, Who Passed of Stomach Cancer Over 40 Years Ago: The Importance of Clinical Trials
Fans interested in purchasing vinyls of the album can get either standard black or limited edition color vinyl, sold only on his official website, or red,white, and blue splatter vinyl from Walmart.
A news release on the album states, “Arguably one of the most successful self-directed recording artists of any era, Keith has had many hits with a wide array of co-writers and a handful from outside writers,”
“Perhaps most impressive is how many of his most iconic songs he wrote by himself, which puts him in league with performing songwriters including Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.
“For the 2015 all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, it all started the night he wrote his first single and No. 1 smash, ‘Should’ve Been A Cowboy’ in a motel bathroom in Dodge City, KS.”
Toby just released the remastered "Who's Your Daddy?" music video, one of the tracks from his forthcoming 100% Songwriter album that will be available 11/3. Check it out and make sure you pre-order the new album: https://t.co/yIoGyfOJiJ pic.twitter.com/LxJy9jDg3w
— Toby Keith (@tobykeith) September 21, 2023
Keith’s new album will be release after he receives an award at the People’s Choice Country Awards on September 28, 2023.
“As a talented songwriter and powerhouse performer, Keith has touched the hearts of fans across the globe,” Cassandra Tyron, the senior vice president of Entertainment Live Events at NBCUniversal, said in a recent statement about the award.
The dad of three and loving husband, will be the first to receive the Country Icon Award this year. Aside from singing, his foundation, dubbed The Toby Keith Foundation, is raising nearly 2 million dollars to help pediatric cancer patients and their families.
His foundation works to “encourage the health and happiness of pediatric cancer patients and to support.” Keith also has lengthy history of supporting military troops and their families.
Toby Keith’s Battle With Stomach Cancer
Toby Keith has been battling stomach cancer since 2021. According to the National Cancer Institute, stomach or gastric cancer begins in the cells lining the stomach.
Following his diagnosis, he stepped away from the big stage to focus on his health. After nearly two years of battling the disease, the “American Soldier” singer revealed earlier this summer that he’s “feeling pretty good,” in an interview with The Oklahoman.
“I’m about another eight weeks from my last scan. So, I expect next time I look for that tumor to be even less and I’ve only got one that’s shown up,” Keith said.
“Basically, everything is in a real positive trend. You never know with cancer, so you have to prepare,” the country singer continued.
While we haven’t been updated on Keith’s prognosis, if his tumor continued shrinking since his scans during the summer, he could be in an even better place by the time he receives his award.
His treatment has involved chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Chemotherapy involves cancer-killing drugs given to patients orally or intravenously. Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment method that uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells. We do not know what kind of chemo or immunotherapy he is undergoing for treatment at this time.
Based on Keith’s comments and recent pop-up performances, the legendary singer appears to be managing his treatments well. And although his enthusiastic personality and his singing abilities haven’t really been impacted as of recently, he appears to have lost some weight since his diagnosis.
Finding Joy Amid a Cancer Journey
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, remember to try not to let it define you. One way to do this is by finding things you enjoy and tapping into them, like Toby Keith. Taking care of your emotional health is important during the cancer journey as well.
“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, previously told SurvivorNet.
Dr. Dana Chase explains the importance of caring for your mental health while facing cancer.
Dr. Chase advocates for cancer warriors to prioritize their mental health. She says finding activities that bring you joy is part of the journey to boost your overall mental health.
Sometimes the activities can be art, cooking, spending time with loved ones, pet therapy, or music. Based on recent social media posts featuring Keith, he may be tapping into some of these joyful activities himself.
Cancer Survivors Say ‘Do What You Love Now’
Cancer treatment can disrupt life for many people, but those who have been through it say it’s helpful to keep doing activities you love to distract yourself from possible challenges.
For survivor Lydie Roth, who has been battling cancer since she was a teenager, her diagnosis caused her to put her dreams of being a fitness model on hold. However, it hasn’t stopped her from doing what she loves, working out any chance she can get, despite regular pain she experiences due to her battle with sphenoid sinus cancer.
Roth regularly shares her exercise routines through social media, which has attracted many fans and followers who are inspired by her journey.
Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Survivor Lydie Roth Still Does What She Loves, Even With Cancer
“You never know what will happen in your life, so it’s better to spend time doing your favorite activities,” says Roth.
Ovarian cancer survivor Rhonda Gold is another inspiring example. She was able to keep up with her favorite hobbies thanks to the help from some of her closest friends. One of her favorite activities is participating in dog shows, but due to cancer treatment not allowing her to travel since she’s immunocompromised, she couldn’t be hands-on in the dog showing universe.
However, to help Gold feel more involved, some of her friends would send her pictures from the dog shows and adorable pictures of the pups.
“There were a lot of virtual dog shows, people who were ringside with video and send me videos of what was happening,” Gold says. “I did follow a lot of the results for the dog shows, because it was something I was interested in. Don’t take things for granted. Make sure you do all the things now that you love.”
Ovarian Cancer Survivor Still Got To Enjoy Her Favorite Activity During Treatment
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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