On March 20, country music lost Kenny Rogers. Then, just nine days later, the country community was forced to mourn the loss of another one of its icons…Joe Diffie.
The “John Deere Green” singer passed away on March 29 due to complications from COVID-19 (coronavirus). He was 61 years old.
Diffie’s death was announced via a short statement on his social media profiles.
Country artists quickly took to social media to mourn Diffie’s passing. Many shared photos that captured the memories they shared. Others wrote about how much his music meant to them growing up. All of them expressed an overwhelming sense of sadness.
Here, we’ve gathered up some of the many artist responses to Diffie’s death. We have also included statements from organizations and venues attached to the country music community, such as the Grand Ole Opry and the ACM.
Look through the list of reactions below.
Rodney Atkins
Tim McGraw
Travis Tritt
Toby Keith
Trisha Yearwood
I met Joe Diffie when I moved to Nashville in the mid-80’s. I started getting called to do a lot of session work, demos…
Posted by Trisha Yearwood on Sunday, March 29, 2020
Brad Paisley
Scotty McCreery
Jon Pardi
Luke Combs
Big & Rich
Kelsea Ballerini
Consistently one of the kindest artists to run into. This is really, really heavy. Thinking of his beautiful wife and family. ? https://t.co/0hzzXAtrMG
— Kelsea Ballerini (@KelseaBallerini) March 29, 2020
Charlie Daniels
Steve Wariner
Chely Wright
My heart is absolutely breaking over the loss of life we are witnessing. @JoeDiffieOnline was so nice and so great to tour with and one of the best country music singers of all time.
61 years old.
God damn it. https://t.co/AhrxfNPGyg
— Chely Wright (@chelywright) March 29, 2020
Chris Young
Carrie Underwood
Absolutely no words for the loss of Joe Diffie. The music and legacy he leaves behind are legendary. Prayers for his family and friends. ?
— Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) March 29, 2020
Darryl Worley
Jason Aldean
Granger Smith
Here’s to you Pickup Man. You inspired an entire generation of country singers and accepted us all with kindness, gratitude and buckets of talent. ?? #joediffie
— Granger Smith (@GrangerSmith) March 29, 2020
Michael Ray
Trace Adkins
Sara Evans
The Bobby Bones Show
Grand Ole Opry
ACM
Based on all of these artists’ reactions, it’s clear that Diffie was dearly loved and appreciated. He will be missed.
As you can see, many artists mentioned Diffie’s 1992 single, “Ships That Don’t Come In.” It’s a song that struck a chord with all who listened to it.
In Diffie’s honor, we’re sharing the official music video for “Ships That Don’t Come In” below. May he rest in peace.