Toby Keith confesses his battle with stomach cancer is “pretty debilitating” in his first interview since revealing his diagnosis earlier this year.
“I’m thinking about getting back into fighting shape,” the Should’ve Been a Cowboy singer, 61, says in a sneak peek of US show CMT Hot 20 Countdown. “I need a little bit of time to just rest up and heal up.”
Keith adds, “It’s pretty debilitating to have to go through all that, but as long as everything stays hunky-dory, then we’ll look at something good in the future.”
In June, the A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action singer announced he was stepping away from music undergo cancer treatment.
“Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer,” Keith shared at the time. “I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.”
In recent months, the country superstar has been hinting at his return by venturing out publicly more.
In November, Keith surprised fans at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky, with a performance of songs like I Love This Bar and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama.
That same month, he was honoured with the BMI Icon Award at the 2022 BMI Awards, where artists like Carrie Underwood and Eric Church sang a tribute for him.
Earlier this week, Keith posted a sweet photo of himself on Instagram with a young cancer patient, writing alongside it, “Thumbs up if you’re celebrating #GivingTuesday by donating to the @tkfoundation1!
“Your donations make the OK Kids Korral possible, a home away from home for children battling cancer and their families.”
In 2006, Keith established the Toby Keith Foundation, which provides support for children with cancer.
This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.