Toby Keith announced upcoming tour dates post stomach cancer diagnosis.
Country star Toby Keith has announced that he will be preforming two concerts on Dec. 10 and 11 at Park MGM in Las Vegas this past Friday. Keith put his career on a pause since his stomach cancer diagnosis in June 2022, according to PEOPLE.
Read More: Country Music Star Toby Keith Announces Stomach Cancer Diagnosis
“Hey everybody! This is Toby Keith. It’s been a while. You know what I’ve been doing — been on the old rollercoaster, but Almighty’s riding shotgun. He’s letting me drive for some reason, but we’re making a big announcement,” said Keith in a video shared to YouTube. “I’m doing a little deal and thought I’d start in the great Las Vegas.”
This will be Keith’s return on tour since 2022, although he has performed at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards last month, along with two pop up shows at Hollywood Corners bar in Oklahoma in July.
“It’ll be my first two shows. They’re kind of rehab shows — get the band back in sync, get me rolling again,” he said. “First time in my whole life I’ve been off over two years. I’ve never been off a year in my life.”
Keith, 62, plans for his return as long as things run smoothly.
“All I gotta do is see if I can get through two or three nights of work and get a little break in this chemo, and we’ll go back to work,” Keith added.
Tasha Butts, Georgetown basketball coach, died from cancer.
Former Georgetown women’s basketball coach died due to breast cancer this past Monday. Butts, 41, had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, but had stepped away as head coach for Georgetown last month.
“I am heartbroken for Tasha’s family, friends, players, teammates and colleagues,” said Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed, according to CBS. “When I met Tasha, I knew she was a winner on the court, and an incredible person whose drive, passion and determination was second to none. She exhibited these qualities both as a leader and in her fight against breast cancer. This is a difficult time for the entire Georgetown community, and we will come together to honor her memory.”
The Tasha Tough campaign was established after Butts’ diagnosis to raise awareness for breast cancer and raise money to help women who were unable to afford quality care.
Butts has been a basketball coach for Georgetown since this past April after a coaching and professional WNBA career, according to CBS. Working as an assistant coach for Georgia Tech in 2019, Butts then became associate head coach two years later.
The Georgetown women’s basketball team posted a picture on X in honor of Butts, commenting, “We will be strong and stay #TashaToug.”
Richard Roundtree, actor in “Shaft,” died from pancreatic cancer.
Actor in the franchise, “Shaft,” Richard Roundtree, died from pancreatic cancer this past Tuesday.
Roundtree, 81, began his career in 1971, after staring as Detective John Shaft, following sequels “Shaft’s Big Score,” “Shaft in Africa” and the “Shaft” television series. Roundtree’s career continued, when starring in the 2000s movie “Shaft,” following the 2019 sequel.
Roundtree was also known for his role in “Roots,” “Desperate Housewives to Being Mary Jane” and more.
“He gave Black people that icon in the ’70s,” film scholar Novotny Lawrence stated, according to NPR.
Roundtree has also announced a breast cancer diagnosis in 1993, but later was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this past August.
“Being Mary Jane” co-star Gabrielle Union commented on his death on X, saying “Working with Richard Roundtree was a dream. … He was ALWAYS the coolest man in the room with the BEST vibes (and people) would literally run over to come see him. He was simply the best (and) we all loved him.”
Erik Jensen, of ‘The Walking Dead,” revealed cancer diagnosis.
Actor, Erik Jensen, who starred in season 5 of ‘The Walking Dead,” announced that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer.
Jensen’s wife has set up a GoFundMe for Jensen due to the two Hollywood strikes and Jensen’s aneurysm prior. The GoFundMe is to, “make it through the next year, pay for treatment to fight his cancer, keep their home and maintain some sort of stability for Sadie,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
“After miraculously surviving a brain aneurysm just a year and a half ago, our beloved Erik Jensen was just diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer. The cancer has metastasized to his liver, but Erik is young and strong (cutting a film during chemo, working full-time as a director and writer throughout) and his doctors think they have a shot at shrinking the tumors enough to do two very major surgeries and get them all out. He can make it through this. But Erik and his family are in for the fight of their lives, and they need your support,” the post stated.
Jensen’s cast mates have been sharing the GoFundMe in support. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who was a star in the series shared on social media, “Never had the chance to work with Erik… until now anyway. Only have heard many things about what a great guy he is. I do know he and his could use some help…. Of any and all kind.”
Chief content officer Scott Gimple tweeted about the fundraiser as well, stating, “One of TWD’s own could use a little help. Erik Jensen, who played Dr. Steven Edwards in S5 was just diagnosed with cancer, and it’s a time of great uncertainty for him and his family. If you want to send something his way.”
Jensen’s wife is hoping to raise about $300,000 going towards costs of treatment.
Christian LeBlanc, “The Young and the Restless” actor, announced her cancer diagnosis.
“The Yong and the Restless” star, Christian LeBlanc, revealed why he had been absent from the daytime series for so long, explaining that he had received a multiple myeloma diagnosis in June.
“I’d never spent a day in the hospital in my 65 years until this year,” he said, according to PEOPLE. “It’s a common cancer but a very fast-moving one.”
LeBlanc also described signs leading up to his diagnosis, mentioning that he had lost 35 pounds in the span of two months.
“I put on (my character) Michael (Baldwin)’s wedding ring and I put my hand down and the ring fell off without friction. I said, ‘What an odd thing.’”
LeBlanc had also described that he would experience nose bleeds on set and changes in his eye, such as appearance and drooping.
LeBlanc is now in remission and focusing on gaining back all of the weight he lost. “(My doctors) said, ‘Eat like it’s your job,’ and I said, ‘I was raised to fulfill this promise. Louisiana, New Orleans, easily done,'” LeBlanc explained to PEOPLE.
LeBlanc plans to return back to the daytime series for its Thanksgiving episode.
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