Country singer Toby Keith was reported dead on February 5 after a battle with stomach cancer. Keith’s passing was a shock as he recently shared a clip of his final performance from December 2023 in Las Vegas, after which he took time off the spotlight to recover.
The singer’s death saddened much of Hollywood, including legendary actor Clint Eastwood. He expressed his grief via a tribute on social media, which reads, “Extremely Saddened by the passing of Toby Keith, Rest in peace my friend,” with a photo of them posing side by side.
What song did Clint Eastwood inspire by Toby Keith?
Keith revealed during his lifetime that Clint inspired “Don’t Let The Old Man In” while filming the thriller movie, The Mule, which tells the story of “a ninety-year-old horticulturist and Korean War veteran (who) turns drug mule for a Mexican cartel” according to IMDb. “It’s an interesting story, how this song came to be,” the late songwriter said.
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The film included the single, and it all started when Keith asked Clint about his (at the time) 88th birthday plans. “He said he was gonna go shoot a movie…and I said, ‘what do you do to keep yourself going?’ He said, ‘I try to get up and be productive and don’t let the old man in,’” Keith recalled. “So, I wrote (the song and) sent it to him. He put it in that movie, The Mule, and then it exploded on NBC when I sang it on the People’s Choice Awards when I was getting the Icon.”
Keith was diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2021 and underwent “chemo, radiation, and surgery” to battle the ravaging condition. “So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover, and relax. I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait,” he assured his well-wishers in June of the same year.
Sadly, the father of three was only able to spend about 18 more months alive since the announcement. His family confirmed the sad news via a statement which read that he “passed peacefully…surrounded by his family.”
“He fought his fight with grace and courage,” they added. “Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”