‘RIP Big Dawg’: John Daly Mourns Country Music Icon Toby Keith’s Death; Fans Join Him to Pay Homage

Losing a loved one to cancer sucks. Today, John Daly mourned the loss of one of his best buds, Toby Keith. The legendary country musician died at the age of 62 on February 5th because of cancer. The musician and songwriter opened up about his stomach cancer diagnosis and informed his fans about the disease in 2022.

The departed soul described the diagnosis (on News 9) as a “rollercoaster” and something like, “You just sit here and wait on it to go away—it may not ever go away.” After the loss of their favorite country star, millions of Keith’s admirers are mourning his death.

Keith’s demise was announced on Twitter in a heartfelt announcement. “Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.” The larger-than-life singer was loved dearly by his fans and friends, one of them being Daly.

Being closest to John Daly, he performed at his charity events, played golf with him, and watched many football games together. His most popular singles, like the ‘Courtesy of Red, White, and Blue’, and the ‘Red Solo Cup’, were played when they shared the stage at the John Daly Classic in 2021.

The friendship between the two goes beyond any limits. Daly has struggled with bladder cancer himself and knows the brutality of the disease. He tweeted on X about the death of his friend and said, “My heart is truly broken. One of my best friends is gone by this disease! RIP Big Dawg.. #f**kcancer.”

The two had shared precious moments with each other, and this loss has hit Long John hardest. Along with Daly, the world of music and golf also mourned the loss.

Fans around the world bid adieu to Toby Keith

Toby Keith’s death sent a wave of emotions throughout the world for all country music lovers. Being a best friend to Daly, he was close with his family as well. Daly’s wife, Anna Cladakis, shared about the demise of Keith and said, “God bless his family and all those more intimately affected by this disease! We’re going to miss one of our best friends dearly.”

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Another golf world personality, Mike McGee (Annika Sorenstam’s husband), shared the time when they celebrated the 2017 Solheim Cup and described how supportive Keith was of the LPGA star. He said that Keith was a great man, “who loved his family, golf, football, and his country. RIP.”

Joining Daly and his family, this fan shared their condolences with JD and said that Keith will always be remembered through the gift of music he had shared with the world.

Another Keith fan resonated with Daly and said their hearts were broken as well, though they didn’t meet him. Sharing their favorite verse of Keith, they said that his “words live forever.”

One fan shared their deepest condolences to the Keith family and was heartbroken to hear about the unexpected news.

Keith’s supporters were aware of his disease but were not expecting him to go so soon. This fan was left truly heavy-hearted with the death of Keith.

Kieth and his fan’s relationship went beyond the concerts; this supporter recalled a time when he sent him “a recipe for wild boar sausage when they had a pile of meat to process.” It was a sad day for them, though, because of Keith’s cheerful persona. They remembered that he wanted people to be “upbeat.”

Toby Keith has gained many accolades in his life, but the love of his fans will live forever. Though he has passed away to another world, his legacy will always be remembered through his music. RIP!

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