Country music icon Toby Keith died on Monday night after a three-year battle with aggressive stomach cancer, but he was unapologetically proud to be an American, even at the end of that fight.
Keith shared that sentiment with fans in Las Vegas less than two months ago during a concert that would ultimately be his final one.
Variety reported he performed a sold-out show on Dec. 14 at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Vegas.
The country legend treated fans to many of his biggest hits, including “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “Beer for My Horses” and “Red Solo Cup.”
As he wrapped up his performance of “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American),” Keith shared a not-so-subtle message about his love for his country and his feelings toward those who choose not to.
“Never apologize for being patriotic!” he shouted to the audience in a video that was uploaded by a fan.
“F*** ’em!” he told the crowd with a middle finger in the air.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers might find offensive.
That was the final song of the encore of his final show, according to Variety.
The Oklahoman reported Keith wrote the patriotic anthem in just 20 minutes immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans.
The singer ultimately sold out three shows in Vegas in December, which he commented about on his Instagram page.
“3 sold out shows in Vegas was a damn good way to end the year,” he wrote just seven weeks ago.
Keith shared his final social media post on Monday when he uploaded another clip from the same show and commented, “And that’s a wrap on the weekend, y’all. Back to it.”
The next post on Keith’s account came early Tuesday morning and read, “Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on Feb. 5, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Keith leaves behind a legacy as a musician that will be difficult for any aspiring country artist to match.
The singer also will be remembered for remaining steadfastly and unapologetically patriotic and strong in his faith in Jesus through his last days.
