The country singer — who died on Feb. 5 at age 62, nearly three years after his stomach cancer diagnosis — often spoke openly about the "roller coaster" of his life with cancer, his love for his wife and his children and his passion for his craft.
"I am pretty sound in my personal life," he told PEOPLE in 2010. "You just take life on a day-to-day basis. Yes, I feel known and loved."