As many of you might know, I don’t have many personal country music experiences. Due to my lack of country music knowledge, I decided to search for a person, dead or alive, that has influenced or affected many over the course of his/her life. After doing some research, I came across a country duo called Joey+Rory and found their story not only inspiring but also a reminder that life’s short.
Joey+Rory is an American country and bluegrass duo formed in 2008 composed of Joey Martin Feek and Rory Lee Feek, who were husband and wife. Joey was the duo’s lead vocalist, while Rory sang background vocals and played the guitar. The duo placed third on CMT’s competition Can You Duet in 2008. That same year, they signed to Sugar Hill/Vanguard Records, releasing their debut album The Life of a Song. The album’s lead-off single, “Cheater, Cheater”, was a Top 40 hit on the Billboard country charts, while the album debuted at number ten on the Billboard Top Album Country Charts.
On March 4, 2016 Joey Feek passed away after losing her long battle to cervical cancer. Joey left behind her husband and two year old daughter, Indiana. Rory Feek documented their life together and later his wife’s diagnosis on his blog. In it, he writes a weekly post about their life’s experiences such as playing with their daughter and visiting friends and family.
On March 4th, Rory wrote his last blog post titled “A Dream Come True”. This particular post, along with a couple others, really highlighted the importance of treating each and everyday as a gift. In his opening sentences, Rory writes: “My wife’s greatest dream came true today. She is in Heaven. The cancer is gone, the pain has ceased and all her tears are dry. Joey is in the arms of her beloved brother Justin and using her pretty voice to sing for her savior.” Rory explains how glad he is because his wife’s pain is over, and that he’s going straight back home to the South.
Joey Feek had many characteristics of a Country Music singer such as being family oriented and religious. One of her famous quotes was, “We have a lot of hope up there. You draw off of that, but more than anything, you draw off of Christ.” Celebrities such as Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood, along with many others, communicated their condolences through social media. Through these reactions, I can see that Joey meant a lot more than just an artist. She always had a smile on her face, even on her deathbed.
