Jamey Johnson Says that He Was Writing with Toby Keith at the Time of His Death

The summer of 2022 was the time when Keith announced his stomach cancer diagnosis. After taking most of that year off for treatment, he returned to the stage in September 2023 to accept the People’s Choice Country Award. At that show, he performed “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” and played a series of comeback shows to close out the year. He died just a few months later. Jamey Johnson and Toby were working on a song near the end. One night, Jamey shared a few lines with him, and Toby added few lines, which turned into a whole verse. Johnson recalls.It was one of those things I thought, ‘This is great. Someday I’ll get out to Oklahoma or maybe he and I will meet up at a golf tournament, but we can sit down and complete this.” Despite knowing Keith was ill, Johnson didn’t realize how close to death he was.It always seemed like he was gonna beat this: “Don’t worry about me, pal. I’ve got this,” he says. “And that lasted right up until the month before he passed away.”.

– Legends Corner