Toby Keith Parties With Oklahoma Sooner Softball Team, Quiets Cancer Concerns
Toby Keith was in fine form as he celebrated the Oklahoma University softball team's National Championship win on Thursday (June 8).
He even led a performance of his hit "How Do You Like Me Now?" that had the team jumping and hollering.
- OU beat Florida State University (3-1) on Thursday night to claim their third straight National Championship.
- Keith — a lifelong OU fan — had shared a photo to social media one week prior that elicited fear and prayers from fans and friends.
- In 2022 he battled stomach cancer, but by year's end he indicated he was on track to return to 100 percent health.
"Three in a row for Natty Patty. How do you like Sooner Nation now?" he tweeted, sharing this video from Thursday night:
In this clip and another shared by ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, Keith looks strong, and he certainly sounds strong. That's great news for fans who were worried after he shared a photo and message in support of Children's Miracle Network hospitals that showed him smiling, but very thin and wearing long sleeves amid an Oklahoma June.
Former NFL quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Brett Favre offered prayers. Jake Owen and Drake White offered kind words. Hundreds of others wondered what was wrong, leaving supportive words and prayers of their own.
The 61-year-old has remained tight-lipped about his health. Fans didn't even know he was battling cancer until six months after he began treatment. That announcement from one year ago said nothing worrisome of his prognosis — he simply needed time to "breathe, recover and relax."
Since then, he's been spotted several times, but didn't make an official appearance until November 8, when he accepted the BMI Icon Award in Nashville. He looked thin during that speech, as well, but did not appear to be anything short of full strength.
There are currently no dates on Toby Keith's touring calendar, meaning his fans will have to settle for performances like this: