[3] Diffie's father, Joe R., played guitar and banjo, and his mother sang. But they're all strong people, and we weathered that storm. Diffie has made a few trips down the aisle, the last time being with Tara Terpening. Diffie was preceded in death by his father, Joe Riley Diffie. Here is Flora Deen Diffie's obituary. Diffie sang his hit "Ships Joe Diffie, the Nineties country star behind hits like "Pickup Man," has died at 61 due to complications related to COVID-19. He was signed to Epic Records in 1990 and released his debut album, "A Thousand Winding Roads." So I get happy/sad when I listen to it. Legal Statement. [12] Between these two songs, "If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)" became Diffie's second Billboard number one. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He was 61. "I just pretty much have to sing it in one breath. He lived for a time in Duncan, Oklahoma, where he worked in a foundry and played in local bars and dancehalls, but the foundry closed and his first marriage, to Janise Parker, broke up. Diffie's father, Joe R., played guitar and banjo, and his mother sang. It included five songs that Diffie co-wrote, as well as a duet with George Jones entitled "What Would Waylon Do". going around are false.". [3] Starting with A Night to Remember, Diffie returned to a more ballad-oriented sound; Mike Kraski, then the senior vice president of sales for Sony Music Nashville, thought that the albums before it had over-emphasized his novelty releases. Song publishers in Nashville, meanwhile, remain on the lookout for another demo singer who can sell their songs the way Diffie could. Many of them claim that health officials, government leaders and media outlets have overblown the danger of the virus, millions being infected with it worldwide. That year, he was contacted by Bob Montgomery, a songwriter and record producer known for working with Buddy Holly. favorite. It was announced Sept. 25 that Diffie, whose single "Prop Me Up Beside the [16] It was also the first album that he co-produced, doing so with Johnny Slate. "[46], In 2001, Sony Nashville transferred Diffie from its Epic division to the Monument Records division due to a corporate decision that Epic had too many artists and Monument had too few. [58] Rounder released an album called The Ultimate Collection, which comprised re-recordings of his hits for Epic. Just before this interview, he had performed more than 20 days out of the previous 30 and, although so hoarse he could barely speak, was back at Soundshop Studio working on the next album, "Life's So Funny," a ballad-heavy project whose awesome early tracks promise to be the most stunning work of his career. [61] Allmusic reviewer j. poet gave this album a positive review for showing Diffie's bluegrass influences. He was 61. from A Thousand Winding Roads . Two of his other albums went gold. His father, Joe, held a variety of jobs including rancher, truck driver and welder, and would later become the tour bus driver for the country artist Toby Keith. Perhaps his philosophy was best captured in Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die) No 3 in 1993 in which Diffie sang: Fill my boots up with sand, put a stiff drink in my hand / Prop me up beside the jukebox if I die.. [56] In 2008, Diffie compiled and released a live album,[57] and he signed to Rounder Records later in that year. ", Hueytown, Allison's hometown, and the auto-racing fraternity have been In 1998 he won a Grammy for his appearance on a star-studded recording of Same Old Train with Emmylou Harris, Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard and others. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Add to your scrapbook. This week marked a sad anniversary for country music fans: It's been one year since Joe Diffie died of COVID-19 complications.. [7] By mid-1989, he left Gibson to record demos full-time. The widow of NASCAR star Davey Allison, killed in a July helicopter crash, confirmed she is dating country singer Joe Diffie, who sang at Allison's funeral. Joe Logan Diffie passed away in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday, March 29, 2020 from complications of coronavirus COVID-19. Born. "I thought, `These tabloids are ruining my life, and most of it is inaccurate.' There was an error deleting this problem. Joe Diffie. COUNTRY STAR JOE DIFFIE DEAD FROM CORONAVIRUS COMPLICATIONS AT AGE 61, Joe Diffie performing at the 12th annual ACM Honors in Nashville, Tenn. (Al Wagner/Invision/AP, File). Joe Logan Diffie (December 28, 1958 March 29, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter. The thing I find amazing about country music fans and the American people in general is that if you come to 'em honestly up front and say, `Look, I made a mistake and I hope you'll forgive me for it,' they're very forgiving people. There was a problem getting your location.