Toby Keith‘s daughter, Krystal Keith, has broken her silence after her father’s death at the age of 62.
In a post to social media on Friday (Feb. 9), she says she is “shattered” by his passing, but focuses on her gratitude for all the wonderful times they got to share.
“As great as he was in his career, he was so much greater as a dad and a husband and a Pop Pop. He was my hero,” Keith writes in part.
“I am so lucky to have had him and so grateful he got to walk me down the aisle and meet my babies,” she continues. “That I have years of memories traveling the world as a family. I am blessed that I got to spend years traveling on the road and singing on stage with him. That I have mountains of video footage and endless tracks of music to watch him on and hear his voice with. I’m lucky I got to say goodbye and tell him what he meant to me.”
She goes on to note the outpouring of tributes from fans, friends and peers that have come since Keith died after battling stomach cancer since late 2021, saying it’s a reminder how important he was in the lives of so many others.
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“I will forever honor him,” Krystal states. “The pain is so unbelievably deep and it feels like I have a literal broken heart but I know that it wouldn’t hurt so bad if we didn’t love him and get to be loved so deeply by him.”
“He never made me wonder if he would be there for me.”
Despite her pain, she takes comfort in knowing that her late father relied on his faith.
“He made sure to live with Jesus so he could go with Jesus. Jesus taking him home is the cherry on top of the life we got to live with him.”
The younger Keith shared a carousel of photos alongside her powerful post, showing her father in adorable family moments that are at odds with his tough-guy public image. See the entire post:
Krystal Keith made her public musical debut alongside her famous father at the CMA Awards in 2004. She was just 19 years old when they took the stage to sing “Mockingbird” together, and she went on to a singing career on his label, Show Dog-Universal. She released a self-titled EP in 2013, followed by her Whiskey & Lace album a few months later. She also released Boulder in 2018, but in more recent years, she’s stepped out of the spotlight to raise her own family.
Toby Keith’s son, Stelen Keith Covel, also turned to social media to share a tribute to his late father, calling him “the strongest man I have ever known.”
Toby Keith died “peacefully” on Monday (Feb. 5), “surrounded by his family,” according to a post on his social media pages.
“He fought his fight with grace and courage,” the statement added.
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