Toby Keith Is Recovering from Cancer Battle at Rural Ranch with His Wife of 38 Years & Kids

Toby Keith showed no signs of struggling with his health when seen in public, and everyone was shocked when it was revealed he'd been battling a severe illness. The star is now recovering at his ranch.

Toby Keith met his wife, Tricia Lucus, at a club when he was 20, and she was 19. The then-oil-company secretary thought he was full of confidence and larger-than-life before they dated for three years.

The couple married in 1984, and Toby started focusing on his music. The singer and his band began playing at events full-time while he and his wife tried to keep things balanced with their creditors.

At the same time, the pair were raising a family, while Toby promised his wife his time for fame was coming and begged her to stay put. When the duo married, Lucus was already a mother to one child, Shelley.

She'd welcomed her daughter in 1980 while in a different relationship. After she and Toby married, the musician adopted Shelley and raised her as his child, and in April 1997, the couple welcomed their second offspring.

According to the Kentucky New Era, Toby and his wife welcomed "a little cowboy," Stelen Keith Covel. He was born at the Oklahoma City Hospital and joined his sisters, Shelley, and the couple's first biological child, Krystal, was welcomed in 1985.

Speaking to Country Weekly, the country music singer revealed how "Dozens of people" told his wife she needed to ask him to get a real job. However, Lucus was a loving wife and quite strong-hearted.

She noted how he was "good enough at music" and that she needed to let him give it a try. The star's wife supported him by stating that if he did make it big, it would be great for both of them!

STARTING AND RAISING A FAMILY IN TOBY'S HOMELAND

Despite working hard on realizing his dream of becoming a country star, Toby's main focus was always on his family. While working on a new album in Nashville, the musician confessed:

“It’s really hard for me to leave my kids since my father passed away.”

Lucus once shared that most people thought her husband was the most romantic on Earth and noted that he had his "moments of charm." She once told him it was nice to receive flowers, but she preferred he save that money.

Instead, the singer's wife felt roses died off in around seven days but would rather get an outfit or be taken out to dinner. When he finally realized his dream of becoming a superstar, he could afford food, flowers, and much more!

He once had an estimated net worth of between $10 to $25 million and owned 40 thoroughbred racehorses. Toby also had a farm outside Oklahoma City, where he built a new 8,500-sq.-ft. home for his family.

His Dream Walkin' Farms home, built for 12 years outside of Norman, was bought in the country he was born in. The star spent time relaxing with his family on the 160-acre land, having game nights with Uno and Risk, playing racquetball, basketball, and fishing.

TOBY AND TRICIA'S SUPPORT OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER

Besides making music and being a great husband and father, Toby was also a philanthropist. In 2004, he and his wife co-founded Ally's House, a nonprofit in Oklahoma for children with cancer.

The organization was created after the daughter of one of the singer's original bandmates passed away from the disease. Two years later, Toby founded the Toby Keith Foundation, which helped with free housing and support for Oklahoma pediatric cancer patients and their families.

In September 2014, Tricia and her husband were the ASTEC Door-Opener Honorees. They revealed that they built a facility in Oklahoma that housed sick children while commuting for treatment.

The facility also allowed the children's families to be cared for during that period because it was a mix of the Ritz-Carlton and Disney. Tricia shared how the children's parents were so grateful for the facility.

TOBY'S SHOCKING CANCER DIAGNOSIS

On June 12, 2022, Toby revealed in a Twitter post the heartbreaking news that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer last fall. He then spent six months going for radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery.

The star explained that things were going well so far, and he just needed to "breathe, recover, and relax." He shared how he looked forward to spending that time bonding with his family but said he couldn't wait to see his fans "sooner than later."

During a June 13, 2022 "Good Morning America" coverage of Toby's story, Dr. Jennifer Ashton revealed how stomach cancer wasn't as common as others. It was responsible for over 26,000 new cases in the US yearly.

So far, only one of his [Toby Keith] concert dates has been canceled and it wasn't clear what would happen to the rest.

The disease was also the culprit for a little over 11,000 deaths. The illness was also more common in men than women, and most people were diagnosed with it after age 55 or older.

During CNN's coverage of the country musician's diagnosis, the network noted how it was a "huge shock" for his fans and the community. The news came as a surprise to many people because Toby was carrying on his life like usual while battling the disease.

He was still posting on social media, touring, and he even put out a new album last year. Ironically, after spending so many years giving back to children battling cancer, he now found himself struggling with the same disease.

The news station felt it was emotional and poignant to have someone who advocated for cancer awareness now have to battle the same illness. Seeing Toby staying positive and happy on social media amid his struggle was inspirational.

So far, only one of his concert dates has been canceled, and it wasn't clear what would happen to the rest. For now, the star has the continued support of the woman who believed in him from the very beginning and his children.