Joey Martin Feek, one half of the country duo, Joey + Rory, has passed away from cervical cancer at age 40. Her husband, Rory Feek, confirmed the news on his blog today. She is survived by Rory and their daughter, Indiana, who is 2-years old.
View this post on Instagram ..this was taken at one of our last concerts. Love is a powerful thing to pray for. A post shared by Rory Feek (@roryfeek) on Nov 5, 2015 at 5:26am PST
The country duo got their break on the CMT reality competition show, Can You Duet. While the duo only placed third on the show, they ended up winning much bigger in the end as they took home the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Vocal Duo award in 2010. You can watch Joey + Rory perform their debut single, “Cheater Cheater” on Can You Duet via YouTube below.
“Cheater Cheater” reached 30th on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
In 2014, Joey Feek was diagnosed with cervical cancer, which continued to spread despite multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Last fall, Rory Feek wrote on his blog that they had decided to end treatment.
Rory Feek told a heartbreaking story that Joey had said her final goodbyes to her family on February 29. He said, “I set our little Indy on Joey’s lap and we all cried with my wife as she told her how much her mama loved her…And then she pulled Indiana up and she kissed her. One last kiss.”
View this post on Instagram it's all about love. A post shared by Rory Feek (@roryfeek) on Nov 9, 2015 at 7:13am PST
They are currently nominated at the 2016 Academy of Country Music Awards for vocal duo of the year.
According to Cosmopolitan, the duo were at the height of their career when Joey passed away. Their most recent album, Hymns That Are Important To Us, reached the top of the country album charts this past February – despite having nearly no promotion for the record. Joey + Rory were additionally nominated for their first Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their song “If I Needed You.”
Rest in peace, Joey.
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