Joe Diffie’s Death Really Hits Home

I was worried that with everything that is going on, I would become numb to tragedies. Everyday the news is very hard to swallow and social media has become a competition of who can have the more dire breaking news.
But I was completely taken off guard Sunday with the news about Joe Diffie passing away.

I started radio in the “hay day” of country music. The 1990s were without a doubt, the best era of country music. Joe Diffie was not only one of the first artists I played on WYRK but one of the first I was able to introduce on stage before a show at Melody Fair and our inaugural Taste of Country in Buffalo.
When I heard he had passed, there was no doubt I was heartbroken.

Joe Diffie’s music is timeless. There is literally a piece of your life in every song he recorded. From the hard life lessons within “Ships That Don’t Come In” to the rocking songs like “Third Rock From The Sun” , just listen to a song from Joe and you can hear your life story being told within it’s lyrics. The melodies mixed with the perfect blend of steel guitar, fiddle, piano and vocals, are the epitome of what country music is, and should be.

A piece of any country fan's heart has been taken away now by this horrible virus. I found myself feeling even more heartbroken the more I read his life story.

My worry about being desensitized to death after reading and hearing all of the recent COVID news,has been proven to be just the opposite. I’m feeling these losses more and more. And we are PRAYING more and more each day at our house. Our thoughts are with Joe's family and may he rest in peace!

I want anyone who read this to reflect on a lyric from Joe Diffie’s song “Ships That Don’t Come In”.

“ At least we’ve had our chances....there’s those who never have...”