Joe Diffie made his mark on country music in the 1990s, and he also had an opportunity to cover one of the great hit songs from George Jones.
Diffie sings Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” on a TV special. Sadly, Diffie died on March 29, 2020, from complications due to COVID-19. He was 61 years old.
His voice, like many others, stands the test of time. Joe Diffie had an impact on young performers like Jon Pardi, who honored Diffie at the CMA Awards this year.
Diffie would have turned 62 years old on Dec. 28.
He released several hits during his career such as “John Deere Green,” “Pickup Man,” and “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die).” Diffie won a CMA Award of his own for Vocal Event of the Year in 1993.
Listen to him singing “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
Joe Diffie Not Forgotten By Those In Country Music
As mentioned earlier, Pardi paid tribute to Diffie by performing “Pickup Man” at the CMA Awards.
Pardi had been looking forward to performing the song for some time now. In an interview with Taste of Country Nights, Pardi said, “That’s like honky-tonkin’ we talking about. That’s an exciting performance.”
His effort definitely got the audience going with other country stars singing along and tapping their feet. The performance even drew a standing ovation from the wife of Joe Diffie, Tara Terpening.
George Jones Had Quite A Career Himself
Jones defined country music at a time when a traditional country sound was more dominant among performers.
Besides “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” other hits synonymous with Jones include “White Lightning” and “The Race Is On.”
Years ago, country music fans were looking at George Jones and Tammy Wynette as potentially becoming a power couple on stage.
Jones and Wynette teamed up on some of country music’s legendary songs together and had impressive individual careers. When on stage, their voices blended beautifully. Off-stage, though, the couple had their troubles.
Fans remember the voices, though. They remember the music, which has carried on from generation to generation.
Such will be the case for Joe Diffie and his voice and music.
