Toby Keith was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame one day after his death at the age of 62
Toby Keith was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame one day after the singer died following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62 years old.
Country Music Association CEO Sarah Traherne made the revelation on Monday after announcing that singer John Anderson, 69, and James Burton, 84, would join Keith in the prestigious honor.
“Each of these inductees has had an indelible impact on country music,” Traherne told Billboard.
Speaking about each of the inductees, Traherne said election rules prevent someone from being elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in the year they pa*sed away. However, this does not apply to the late singer because he was elected before his death last February.
“Nominations took place in the autumn of 2023 with the first ballot sent to voters before the holiday, with the final ballot closing on Friday 2 February,” Traherne explained. “Our professional services partners at Deloitte released the results to us just a few days later.”
“This year, we expected to receive the names of our final inductees on Tuesday, February 6. As we now know, we woke up that morning to the devastating news that our friend Toby Keith had lost his long battle with stomach cancer.” They added, noting that they received the final votes from Deloitte only hours after the news spread.
“One of the greatest honors of my job really is informing these recruits that they are the newest members of the Sacred Chapter,” Traherne said. “My heart sank Tuesday afternoon when I learned that we had missed the opportunity to inform Toby while he was still with us.”
“But I have no doubt he’s smiling down on us, because he knows he’ll always be as good as he was before,” she concluded, referring to Keith’s 2005 single “As Good As I Before Was.”
A representative for the late singer told The Post that Keith’s family was grateful for his vote.
“Toby’s pa*sing leaves us heartbroken,” the rep said. “We miss him so much.”
“But we are relieved that his music and legacy will live on forever,” the statement continued. “Thank you to the Country Music Hall of Fame for helping keep it alive.”
Keith’s family announced the country singer’s death on February 6.
“Toby Keith pa*sed away peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family,” the post read. On X (formerly Twitter) is reading. “He fought his battle with grace and courage. Please respect his family’s privacy at this time.
Two weeks before his death, the “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” singer spoke about his ongoing battle. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2022.
“I was going through all the chemo, radiation and surgery, and I got to the point where I felt okay with everything that had happened. I had my mind wrapped around it, and I was in a good place either way,” the country music award winner told News 9 in Oklahoma.
In the same interview, Keith praised his wife, Tricia Lokos, to whom he has been married for 39 years, as “the best nurse.”
“Oh, she was a soldier,” he said. “The first time we went to Houston, to the hospital, she immediately stepped in and took control and said, ‘We’ve got this. Let’s go.’ So she said, “We’ll get this and don’t worry about it.”
The official induction of the Cla*s of 2024 is scheduled to take place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, in October.