Joey Martin Feek

Joey Martin Feek

Joey Martin Feek (left) and Rory Lee Feek (center) being interviewed by Allison DeMarcus.
Born Joey Marie Martin[1]
(1975-09-10)September 10, 1975[2]
Alexandria, Indiana
Died March 4, 2016(2016-03-04) (aged 40)
Alexandria, Indiana
Residence Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation Singer-songwriter
Spouse(s) Rory Lee Feek (m. 2002; her death 2016)
Children Indiana (born 2014)

Musical career

Genres Country, Christian country
Instruments Vocals
Years active 2008–16
Associated acts Joey + Rory

Joey Marie Martin Feek (September 10, 1975 – March 4, 2016) was an American country music singer and songwriter. From 2008 to 2016, she and her husband, Rory Lee Feek, comprised the duo Joey + Rory.[3]

Life and musical career

Joey Martin Feek was born Joey Martin on September 10, 1975 in Alexandria, Indiana, the middle child of five children: three sisters and a brother, Justin, who died in a car accident in 1994.[citation needed]. She was encouraged by her father, who played guitar, to start singing and performing at an early age [citation needed] She moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1998 to pursue a career as a veterinarian, and established connections with LeAnn Rimes's father, Wilbur, and Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn. After attending songwriter nights, she signed to a division of Sony Music Nashville in 2001, but did not release anything. At another songwriter night, she met songwriter Rory Lee Feek, whom she married in June 2002.[2] She sang backing vocals on Blaine Larsen's 2004 album Off to Join the World, which her husband co-produced.[4]

She and Rory founded the duo Joey + Rory in 2008, which competed on the talent show Can You Duet and finished third.[2] The duo released eight albums overall and charted a top 30 Hot Country Songs hit in "Cheater, Cheater".[2] Feek co-wrote many of the songs on the albums with her husband.

In June 2014, Joey was diagnosed with cervical cancer not long after the birth of the couple's daughter, Indiana, who was born with Down syndrome.[5] In 2015, Joey announced that the cancer had returned and spread to her colon.[6] That October, Rory revealed in a blog post that Joey's cancer was terminal, and they were stopping all treatment.[7] On November 9, 2015, Rory announced via his blog THISLIFEILIVE that Joey had entered hospice care.[8] In November 2015, she began receiving in-house, end-of-life hospice palliative care at her family's home in Alexandria, Indiana. In a November 2015 interview with The Tennessean, Joey stated that she was not angry with God but was disappointed, that after undergoing radical gynecological surgery to eradicate it, the cancer had returned as inoperable and terminal.

Rory kept a blog of their experience, and the couple maintained a positive attitude and demeanor in her last weeks and months.[9][10][11][12][13] However, in January 2016, her morphine dose needed to keep the cancer pain under control had quadrupled. Rory revealed in blog post titled "When I'm Gone" that, following an emotional talk with Joey and reflecting that they had been able to spend Christmas and the New Year with their family and friends, as opposed to before when they were still more optimistic, they both had come to terms with and accepted her terminal diagnosis and worsening health and let nature take its course.[14] She was able to celebrate Indiana's second birthday and Valentine's Day with her and Rory. She was also later able to help make a meal for the three on her bed, which she was now confined to, and was showing the effects of terminal cancer (weight, body mass, and hair loss).[15]

In early March, after saying her goodbyes to her family and relatives, she fell into a deep sleep from which she was not expected to recover or awaken, showing signs of organ dysfunction and shutdown due to the cancer, according to Rory and the attending hospice nurse. Rory was able to post a goodbye tribute video, but afterward was at his wife's side as she entered her last few days. He had found a type of closure, because they had said goodbye, her pain levels had been increasing prior to that point, and the couple had reached every milestone that they had realistically set — Christmas and the New Year, Valentine's Day, the Grammys, and Indiana's birthday.[16][17][18] Joey died, with Rory at her side, on March 4, 2016. She was 40.[19][20]

References

  1. ↑ McClellan, Laura (March 7, 2016). "Joey Feek’s Obituary Made Public". Taste of Country. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Joey Martin Feek: A life well-loved". Nash Country Weekly 23 (13): 40–45. March 28, 2016. ISSN 2379-9137.
  3. ↑ Greer, Andrew (March 31, 2016). "Joey Feek – 'He needs me singing up there'". CCM Magazine. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  4. ↑ Off to Join the World (CD insert). Blaine Larsen. BNA Records. 2005. 66012.
  5. ↑ "Joey Martin Feek Undergoes Surgery After Cancer Diagnosis". The Boot. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Joey + Rory’s Joey Martin Feek Battling Stage IV Cancer". Nash Country Weekly. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "Joey + Rory's Joey Feek Stops Cancer Treatment". The Boot. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  8. ↑ "This Life I Live". This Life I Live. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "Joey Feek Gives A Brave Smile From Hospice Care in Latest Photo With Her Family". Msn.com. 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  10. ↑ "Joey Feek Shares Health Update as Her Final Days Near: 'God Had Different Plans'". Etonline.com. 2015-11-14. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  11. ↑ "Rory Feek Shares Update on Joey's Cancer Battle: 'I Want My Wife to Be Remembered'". Etonline.com. 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  12. ↑ "A day with Joey Martin Feek: 'I don't fear anything'". Tennessean.com. 2015-11-16. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  13. ↑ "Joey + Rory: Prayers sadly answered". Tennessean.com. 2015-11-09. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  14. ↑ "'Here I Sit Beside My Dying Wife': Rory Says Joey Feek Is 'Ready to Come Home' to God in Emotional Post". Msn.com. 2016-01-09. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  15. ↑ "Terminally Ill Joey Feek Prepares Dinner for Her Family from Her Hospice Bed: 'Bring the Kitchen to Mama'". msn.com. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  16. ↑ "Joey Feek Cancer Update: Rory Feek Releases Tribute Video Emotional Video–The End Is Near". The Inquisitr News. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  17. ↑ "Joey Feek 'stops fighting,' falls into deep sleep". USA TODAY. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  18. ↑ Chris Tyler. "Joey Feek Cancer Update: Singer "Holding on and letting go" – dBTechno". dBTechno. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  19. ↑ WTHR Channel 13 (4 March 2016). "Indiana musician Joey Feek dies after long cancer fight". wthr.com. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  20. ↑ "Joey Feek Dead at 40: Joey + Rory Country Singer Remembered as Loving Mom After Battling Cervical Cancer". E! Online. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
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