Country Music Stars Joey and Rory Feek
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Keep up with country music stars Joey and Rory Feek with this fan blog. Get the latest news, photos, and videos of the couple as they continue to make beautiful music together.
Introduction
Joey and Rory Feek were an American country music duo composed of singer-songwriters Rory Lee Feek and Joey Marie Feek (born Joey Marie Martin). They were married on June 15, 2002. The couple recorded eight studio albums, one live album, and one greatest hits album. Their album, Inspiration: Songs from the Heart, was nominated for the 2009 Country Music Association Album of the Year award. The duo won Top Digital Media Artist at the 2010 ACM Awards.
The pair announced their retirement from show business in 2014 after Rory was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Joey died on March 4, 2016 at age 40 from cervical cancer, less than two years after her diagnosis. After her death, Rory continued to release music as a solo artist and released several posthumous albums featuring his wife’s vocals.
Early Life and Career
Joey and Rory Feek were born and raised in Atchison, Kansas, and they met while they were both in high school. They started dating when Rory was 17 and Joey was 16. They got married in 2002 and have been together ever since. They are both country music stars and have released several albums together.
Joey’s early life
Joey Feek was born Joey Marie Tillotson on September 9, 1975, in Alexandria, Indiana. She was the youngest of three sisters. When she was six, her parents divorced, and Feek and her sisters were raised by their mother, June. Feek’s mother remarried when she was 13. Joey began attending a Pentecostal church with her family and sang in the church choir. She took an interest in music at an early age and learned to play the guitar when she was a teenager.
Feek dropped out of high school when she was 17 and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in pursuit of a career in country music. She auditioned for record labels and publishing companies, but none were interested in signing her. Feek then began working odd jobs to support herself while she continued to pursue her music career. In 1998, she metsongwriter-producer Rory Lee Feek at a country music festival. The two married soon after and began writing and recording together.
Rory’s early life
Rory Lee Feek was born on April 25, 1965, in Atchison County, Missouri, the son of Ron Feek and his wife, Kay (née Coelsch). Rory’s parents divorced when he was young and his father left the family; Rory and his sister, Melissa were raised by their mother and stepfather Jerry Faye. As a teenager, Rory began playing guitar and joined his first band. He later moved to Indianapolis, Indiana where he met Joey Martin.
The duo’s early career
Joey and Rory Feek began their musical careers as a duo in 2008. Their first album, The Life of a Song, was released that same year. The album was comprised of mostly traditional country songs, with a few original songs written by the Feeks.
The album was well-received by critics and fans alike, and the duo began to garner attention within the country music community. In 2009, they released their second album, entitled made its way into the Top Ten on the country music charts. This album featured several more original songs written by the Feeks, and solidified their position as a force to be reckoned with in country music.
The duo continued to release successful albums over the next few years, cementing their place as one of the most popular country music acts around. In 2013, they released their fifth and final album, entitled Inspired: Songs of Faith, Family & Country. This album featured Joey and Rory singing gospel songs, many of which had been written by Joey Feek.
Joey and Rory Feek were a successful country music duo who enjoyed a steady stream of success over the course of their career. They will be remembered for their beautiful harmonies and touching lyrics.
Mainstream Success
Joey and Rory Feek didn’t set out to be country music stars. The duo, who married in 2002, was discovered by a Nashville music producer while playing at a local club in Indiana. They were soon signed to a record label and their first album was a moderate success. But it was their second album that made them household names.
The duo’s breakthrough
Joey and Rory Feek had been working together as a country music duo for a number of years when they finally achieved mainstream success with their album The Life of a Song. The album’s lead single, “Cheater Cheater,” became a top-ten hit on the country charts, and the album itself was certified Gold by the RIAA.
The duo’s follow-up album, Made to Last, was even more successful, reaching #1 on the country charts and going Platinum. The lead single from that album, “My Baby Love Me,” was another top-ten hit.
Joey and Rory continued to release well-received albums and chart-topping singles over the next few years, cementing their place as one of the most successful country music duos of all time.
The duo’s mainstream success
The country music duo of Joey and Rory Feek found mainstream success with their album, The Life of a Song. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number three on the Billboard 200. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album. The album’s lead single, “Cheater Cheater”, was also a top 10 hit on the Billboard Country Singles chart.
Personal Lives
Joey and Rory Feek were high school sweethearts who married in 2002. They had one daughter, Indiana, who was born with Down syndrome. The Feeks documented Indiana’s life on their blog, This Life I Live. In 2015, Rory was diagnosed with cancer and the Feeks began documenting his cancer journey on the blog as well.
Joey’s battle with cancer
Rory Lee Feek is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Rory and his wife Joey Martin Feek were one-half of the country music duo Joey + Rory. His wife, Joey, died on March 4, 2016, of cervical cancer.
Joey+Rory released eight studio albums—three on Vanguard Records and five on their independent Farmhouse Recordings label. Their 2009 album The Life of a Song was nominated for Top Country Album at the 50th Grammy Awards. Their 2010 album Album II and 2013 album His and Hers both achieved Gold status in the United States while their 2016 album Hymns That Are Important to Us received Platinum certification just two months after its release date. The couple’s first studio album, The Life of a Song, was released on October 2, 2007. It debuted at No. 37 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 185 on Billboard 200 chart.[12] Their second album, Album II, was released on March 23, 2010.[13] The duo’s third album, His and Hers was released on October 5, 2010.[14] It debuted at No. 4 on the Top Country Albums chart.[15]
Joey started feeling ill in early 2014 but with no insurance she could not go to the doctor for a checkup.[16][17] After she finally got insurance in July 2014,[16][17] she learned that she had Stage IV cervical cancer[16][18] and had to immediately start radiation treatment followed by chemotherapy.[19] Despite the treatments,[20] her cancer continued to spread[21][22][23] and in November 2015 she was told by her doctors that there wasn’t anything more they could do for her except make her comfortable.[24][25][26]
On March 4, 2016,[27][28] Joey Feek died at her home in Alexandria, Indiana with Rory by her side holding her hand as she took her last breath according to his blog post written that day entitled “My Wife’s Dying Wish”.[29][30]
Rory’s support for Joey
Rory Lee Feek is an American country music singer/songwriter. He is married to country music singer Joey Feek, of the duo Joey+Rory. Rory was born in Atwood, Tennessee, and later moved to Bloomington, Indiana, where he began his musical career as a songwriter. He has written singles for several country artists, including Blake Shelton, Gary Allan, and Terri Clark. He has also released several albums as a solo artist.
Rory has been very supportive of his wife Joey throughout her cancer battle. In an interview with “Entertainment Tonight” in October 2015, Rory said: “The focus for us isn’t on living or dying. The focus for us is on living well — every moment we have left.” He continued: “My job — our job — is to love her through this.”
Conclusion
We hope you have enjoyed learning about country music stars Joey and Rory Feek. They have had an amazing career, and we are sure they will continue to entertain and inspire country music fans for many years to come. Thanks for reading!
