Toby Keith's son pays emotional tribute to country star: 'Strongest man I have ever known'

Toby Keith's son Stelen Covel is paying tribute to the late country music legend.

"You are the strongest man I have ever known. A fighter. A true titan of your industry. My guiding star. My coach. My hero," Covel wrote in the caption of a Thursday post on Instagram. "An embodiment of the American Spirit. You are a man whose strength, prowess, and talent could only be trumped by his ability to be a father and husband."

Keith died "peacefully" at 62 on Monday surrounded by his family after a battle with stomach cancer, according to a statement posted on the country singer's website. "He fought his fight with grace and courage," the statement said. He was diagnosed in 2021.

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"Your impact is forever stamped on the world and on millions of people, yet not one person knew you the way I did. You were my biggest champion and the guiding light in my darkest times. The best mentor a man could ask for," Covel, Keith's only son, wrote on Instagram.

In the lengthy caption, Covel said his dad "held a passion that was greater than mountains" and charted his own path.

"The only thing I truly ever wanted in life was to make you proud. I promise I will continue to make you proud. It’s not goodbye forever; it’s just goodbye for now. I love you cowboy," Covel ended the caption. Covel is one of Keith's three children with wife Tricia.

Keith first became famous with "Should've Been a Cowboy." His breakout hit was played 3 million times on radio stations, making it the most played country song of the 1990s.

He revealed his cancer diagnosis in a June 2022 Instagram post, noting he "spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery." "So far, so good," he wrote at the time. "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."

Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Diana Leyva, USA TODAY; Marcus Dowling, The Nashville Tennessean; Kristin M. Hall, The Associated Press

Country singer-songwriterToby Keith dies at 62