Toby Keith's children are honoring the late country music star Crystal Keith Toby's daughter and a country singer in her own right wrote on Instagram on Friday that she was shattered by her father's death as great as he was in his career he was so much greater as a dad and a husband and a pop pop she said he was my hero she went on to say that she felt so lucky to have years of memories with her dad and blessed to be able to fly and act with him it made her happy that she got to say goodbye and tell him what he meant to me I will always honor him she said it hurts so badly and I feel like my heart is literally broken but I know it wouldn't hurt so much if we didn't love him and be loved so deeply by him he never made me wonder if he would be there for me crystal Keith's music includes the song Daddy dance with me which she wrote so that it could be played during the fatherdaughter dance at her wedding she launched her debut album album whiskey and Lace in 2013 in 2004 Crystal and Toby Keith recorded a version of Mocking Bird together which was released as part of the latter's album greatest hits to I've never met a stronger man than you a fighter a true Titan of your field my leading star my coach my hero he wrote in the description of a Thursday post and symbol of the American Spirit you are a man whose strength prowess and intelligence 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 fight 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 your influence is forever stamped on the world and on millions of people he yet not one person knew you the way I did you were my biggest champion and the leading light in my darkest times the best guide a man could ask for stellin Keith's only son wrote on Instagram in the lengthy caption stellin 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 happy I promise I will continue to make you happy it's not goodbye forever it's just goodbye for now I love you Cowboy stellin finished the caption stellin is one of Keith's three children with wife Trisha Keith first became popular with should have been a cowboy his big hit was played three 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 heal and relax I am looking forward to sharing this time with my family but I will see the people sooner than later I can't wait