Rory Feek and Joey Martin Feek, a husband-and-wife partnership, formed the country music duo Joey + Rory. The genuineness and classic country vibe of Joey + Rory’s music were well-known.
Many people were moved by their personal and musical journey, which included Joey’s struggle with illness, and their tale continues to motivate admirers.
Joey and Rory is a well-known duo; consisting of Rory Lee Feek, an American singer and songwriter, and Joey Feek, who is Rory’s wife and famous songwriter and singer. The husband-wife duo is notable as the third-place winner in the 2008 CMTs competition. The duo released a lot of albums and won a Grammy award.
Now, without further delay, let’s read about the duo’s formation and members in detail.
Members of the Duo
1. Rory Lee Feek
An American blue grass country music artist Rory, a multi-talented personality, took a start as a songwriter in the 90s.
Rory was born in 1965 in Kansas. From an early age, he started to play guitar. He was passionate about music and inspired by Merle Haggard, Don Williams, and other artists of his time. He first performed in night clubs, and once he worked in the US Marine Corps after finishing high school.
Rory started his music career as a songwriter in 1995, when he officially released his single with the production of Nashville Entertainment, after moving to Nashville.
His first single as a songwriter was “Someone You Used To Know” sung by Collin Raye, which counted in the top five on the Billboard Country Music chart.
2. Joey Feek
Joey Marie Feek was born in September 1975, she was a singer and a songwriter. Her hometown was Alexandria, Indiana where she was raised with her four more siblings. Her parents were Jack Martin and June Martin.
Her father was a guitar player from whom she learned to play guitar; in fact, her father supported her in keeping her feet in the field of music.
She received her primary education from her homeland, and after finishing high school she shifted to Nashville to try her luck in the field of music. She became an assistant at the clinic, where she met with the big names of the music industry such as Kix Brooks, LeAnn Rimes Blaine Larsen, and Rory Feek.
How Did They Met?
Joey and Rory met at the music night program, where Rory was presenting as a songwriter performer. It was the Bluebird Café, and Joey was enjoying the listeners. It was the day that is described and mentioned in the memoir written by Rory, The Life I Live Publicized in 2017. In his memoir, he wrote every tiny detail of their first meeting.
Their Marriage
Later on, they both married in 2002. Before marrying Joey, Rory married Tamara Gilmar in 1985, from whom he had two children Heidi and Hopie.
Rory divorced his first wife in 1992. Joey was his second wife and was the mother of her third daughter Indiana Boone. Indiana was a Down Syndrome child by birth.
The Duo Formation
The duo members, husband and wife Rory and Joey were songwriters and singers. Their interests and passions were the same.
Right after their marriage, they both got busy to pursue their career. Joey’s first back vocal song was Blaine Larsen’s Off to Join the World with the co-production of her husband Rory.
Besides Joey’s hard work, Rory wrote songs for the big names of the music industry including top names such as Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Terri Clark, Tracy Byrd, and Lorrie Morgan.
The pair didn’t stop and they conquered. Some of the greatest hits by Rory’s Hand were The Truth About Man, Some Beach and How Do You Get That Lonely, sung by various artists.
Finally, in 2008 the couple formed a duo mentioned Joey + Rory by name. They both had strong bonds and chemistry between them. At the request of a friend, they participated in the talent contest Can You Duet where the duo won by third position.
Despite all the hard work and challenges the duo assigned a Vanguard studio where they worked and released three debut albums.
Famous Songs of the Duo
Joey + Rory released nine albums, a number of singles, music videos, and compilation albums. Here are some of the hits released by the duo.
| Albums | Year of Release |
| The Life of a Song | 2008 |
| Album Number Two | 2010 |
| A Farm House Christmas | 2011 |
| His and Hers | 2012 |
| Inspired (Songs of Faith and Family) | 2013 |
| Made to Last | 2013 |
| Country Classic, A Tapestry of Our Musical Heritage | 2014 |
| Hymns That Are Important To Us | 2016 |
A Brief Information of the Duo’s Work
2008 was their first year, after forming the duo. They released their first album The Life of a Song, which gained no. 9 rank on the Billboard Country Music chart.
Additionally, the duo also worked on a single and released Cheater Cheater, it was a single solo song also sung by another duo Bomshel. But the Joey + Rory version peaked at no. 30 on the rank. In 2009, they released their first holiday piece Its Christmas Time with the collaboration of CMT.
The duo’s second album Album Number Two was released in 2010, before publicizing the album they worked and released hit singles.
Some of the greatest hits from the album were ranked at the peak. Later, in 2010 the duo was selected as the Top Vocal Duo in the Academy of Country Music.
A Farm House Christmas, the duo’s Christmas album, was released in 2011. It is my all-time favorite album related to Christmas.
Later, His and Her was issued in 2012. In 2013, another album Inspired, Songs of Faith and Family ranked at no. 6 in Christian albums and also gained popularity on the Billboard.
The duo’s fifth album was their own production, released in 2013, counted at no. 44 in the country music chart. Their last albums were released near the previous years of Joey, as she was a cervical cancer patient. However, the previous albums consisted of the greatest hits as well.
Other works include singles, video albums, and movies.
| Song | Type | Year of Release |
| Cheater Cheater | Single, The Life of a Song | 2008 |
| Play the Song | Single, The Life of a Song | 2009 |
| To Say Goodbye | Single, The Life of a Song | 2009 |
| Headache | Single | 2011 |
| Play the Song | Music video | 2009 |
| Its Christmas Time | Music video | 2009 |
| That’s Important to Me | Music video | 2010 |
| Let It Snow | Music video | 2011 |
| Josephine | Music video | 2012 |
| When I am Gone | Music video | 2012 |
Awards and Accomplishments
The duo was nominated many times as the best vocal duo of the year, the top duo of the year, mainstream country artists, and top new artists.
Besides nomination, the duo won the Academy of Country Music Award in 2010, as the top new duo of the year. Inspirational country music award in 2011 as the Best Vocal Duo and Grammy award in 2017 as the Best Root Gospel Album. The Grammy award was given after Joey’s death in 2016.
Some Hidden Truths
Some interesting truths about the duo:
- Joey also worked as an assistant at the horse clinic before starting his musical journey.
- Rory and Joey had their first and last baby Indiana Boone Feek in 2014; unfortunately, the child has Down syndrome.
- Besides music, Rory directed a movie, and a documentary and wrote two memoirs while working as a songwriter.
- Joey sang back vocals at her starting time.
Conclusion
- The duo members, a couple namely, Joey and Rory were great artists in the means of songwriting and singing.
- The couple formed a duo in 2008, to accomplish their career together.
- The duo released nine complete albums, a few compilation songs, and music videos with super-hit singles.
- Joey was diagnosed with cervical cancer and passed away in 2016 at the age of 40.
- Rory concentrated on his work and released a new album Gentleman in 2021 without his wife, the first album after her wife’s death.