Update: Toby Keith died on Feb. 5, 2024. He was 62 years old.

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Toby Keith is still battling cancer, but he's optimistic about the future. After an iconic, tear-jerking performance of "Don't Let the Old Man In" at the People's Choice Country Awards in September, the star got to work planning for what's next.

Keith has already announced headlining Las Vegas shows (coming Dec. 10-11), and says he's ready to tour in 2024.

The star is our guest on the latest episode of Taste of Country Nights, On Demand, and he dove into some little-known details of what he has been up to in preparation for his two shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas in December.

Keith shared with me that he has purchased some land in Oklahoma that he turned into a small music venue, and he showed up unannounced to play for three hours to see if he could still do it.

He did.

"I snuck in there one night and did Friday and Saturday, unannounced," he explains. "Brought my band in and did two 3 hour shows. But we don't have to go three hours in Vegas, ya know?"

"... but I just wanted to go 3 [hours] to see if I was tired. I cruised on through it, it was a lot like riding a bike," he adds.

Keith will be rehearsing for his Vegas shows, something he says he hasn't done in decades.

"We're gonna come blazing, ya know? I don't usually need a rehearsal, but being off of COVID and cancer, we're going to go to Nashville and do a rehearsal. It'll be the first rehearsal I've done in decades, but it'll be like riding a bike."

"That rehearsal will get me going, and we're gonna come stomping into Vegas," he adds.

Think of these back-to-back shows as a rehearsal for something bigger — Keith is feeling invigorated about more shows in 2024.

"It's on the board," he says of a full-scale tour. "They have got a great plan together, and we've built a new set, and we're getting the trucks and buses fired up. Our plan is to go forward, don't let this stuff define our future — let's go."

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Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 120 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today's top stars, like Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, Morgan Wallen, + more! 

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