The singer-songwriter “passed peacefully” on Monday night, his familyshared in a statement posted on social media. Keithwas diagnosed with stomach cancerin the fall of 2021.
“Please respect the privacy of his family at this time,” the message concluded.
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During that time in which he played with a band called Easy Money, he met his wife of nearly 40 years,Tricia Lucus, and they were married in 1984 after three years of dating. After they were wed, Keith adopted Lucus’ daughter who was born in 1980, Shelley Covel Rowland, and the two welcomed two more children, daughter Krystal in 1985 and son Stelen in 1997.
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His success continued throughout the decade and into the early ‘00s withhitslike 1999’s “How Do You Like Me Now?!” and 2000’s “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This,” among others. Collaborations such as his 1996 song withSting, “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying,” and his 2003 team-up withWillie Nelson“Beer for My Horses,” also led to crossover appeal.
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Keith had controversies over the years, including a public tussle withNatalie MainesofThe Chickswho was critical of the 2002 single “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” released several months after the events of September 11, perBiography. He also clashed with country singerKris Kristofferson, who allegedly spoke about an interaction the two shared in 2003 in a 2009Rolling Stoneprofile.
His celebrity also expanded beyond music when he opened the popular restaurant chainI Love This Bar & Grillin 2005, named for his 2003 hit “I Love This Bar.”
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Keith spoke about his cancer diagnosis while attending thePeople’s Choice Country AwardsinSeptember 2023.
The singer toldE! Newsat the time that his cancer struggle is “a little bit of a roller coaster. You get good days and, you know, you’re up and down, up and down.”
In December 2023, Keith played his first official headlining shows since herevealed his cancer diagnosisat Park MGM in Las Vegas.
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“It’ll be my first two shows. They’re kind of rehab shows — get the band back in sync, get me rolling again,” he added. “First time in my whole life I’ve been off over two years. I’ve never been off a year in my life.”
Tony Keith in Nashville in September 2023.Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
source: people.com
