March 29, 2020 at 10:08 p.m.
Diffie dies at 61
Country singer was to open for Tracy Lawrence at the Jay County Fair
Diffie dies at 61
Joe Diffie, the country singer who was set to open for Tracy Lawrence at the Jay County Fair in July, died Sunday from COVID-19.
He was 61.
Jay County Fair Board announced early this month that Diffie would be the opening act for Lawrence’s headlining performance July 17 at the fair.
On it’s Facebook page Sunday, the fair board said, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Diffie family and the entire country music community! Joe will never be forgotten!”
The board planned to have a press release available by the end of the day.
Diffie’s death was announced on his Facebook page at 3:40 p.m. Sunday. “GRAMMY®-winning country music legend Joe Diffie passed away today, Sunday, March 29 from complications of coronavirus (COVID-19). His family requests privacy at this time,” the post said.
He had announced on the page just two days earlier that he was being treated for the disease.
The fair board selected Lawrence and Diffie to headline the fair entertainment this year in an effort to reach back to 1990s country music that had more of a traditional feel than the current offerings that tend to lean more toward the pop genre.
Diffie, an Oklahoma native, first broke through as a solo artist in 1990 after spending the early part of his career as a demo singer. He had five songs reach No. 1, including “Pickup Man” in 1994. Another of his top songs was “John Deere Green.”
Country stars who offered tributes to Diffie on social media included Trace Adkins, who has headlined the Jay County Fair twice — 2012 and 2015.
“Oh my God,” Adkins wrote on Twitter. “One of the all-time GREAT vocalists. Joe Diffie was my friend. RIP, buddy.”
Brad Paisley, who was the featured performer at the 2002 Jay County Fair, and LeAnn Rimes Cibrian, who headlined the fair in 2006, shared their thoughts as well.
“I can’t find adequate words,” said Paisley on Twitter. “But the records he made, that voice, the twinkle in his eye, and our memories cannot be taken away by this disease.”
“My heart goes out to the family and friends of @JoeDiffieOnline,” Rimes Cibrian wrote on Twitter. “He was a kind soul and his music, a big part of many great childhood memories. He will be greatly missed. #RIPJoeDiffie”
Diffie had been planning the release of a new album — “I Got This” — his first such offering in seven years.
Tickets for this year’s fair concert went on sale to the general public March 6.
The coronavirus pandemic had already made an impact on events at the fairgrounds, including the cancelation of the Spring Explosion Automobile Derbies that were set for April 24 through 26. Auctions typically held at the fairgrounds have also been canceled.
He was 61.
Jay County Fair Board announced early this month that Diffie would be the opening act for Lawrence’s headlining performance July 17 at the fair.
On it’s Facebook page Sunday, the fair board said, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Diffie family and the entire country music community! Joe will never be forgotten!”
The board planned to have a press release available by the end of the day.
Diffie’s death was announced on his Facebook page at 3:40 p.m. Sunday. “GRAMMY®-winning country music legend Joe Diffie passed away today, Sunday, March 29 from complications of coronavirus (COVID-19). His family requests privacy at this time,” the post said.
He had announced on the page just two days earlier that he was being treated for the disease.
The fair board selected Lawrence and Diffie to headline the fair entertainment this year in an effort to reach back to 1990s country music that had more of a traditional feel than the current offerings that tend to lean more toward the pop genre.
Diffie, an Oklahoma native, first broke through as a solo artist in 1990 after spending the early part of his career as a demo singer. He had five songs reach No. 1, including “Pickup Man” in 1994. Another of his top songs was “John Deere Green.”
Country stars who offered tributes to Diffie on social media included Trace Adkins, who has headlined the Jay County Fair twice — 2012 and 2015.
“Oh my God,” Adkins wrote on Twitter. “One of the all-time GREAT vocalists. Joe Diffie was my friend. RIP, buddy.”
Brad Paisley, who was the featured performer at the 2002 Jay County Fair, and LeAnn Rimes Cibrian, who headlined the fair in 2006, shared their thoughts as well.
“I can’t find adequate words,” said Paisley on Twitter. “But the records he made, that voice, the twinkle in his eye, and our memories cannot be taken away by this disease.”
“My heart goes out to the family and friends of @JoeDiffieOnline,” Rimes Cibrian wrote on Twitter. “He was a kind soul and his music, a big part of many great childhood memories. He will be greatly missed. #RIPJoeDiffie”
Diffie had been planning the release of a new album — “I Got This” — his first such offering in seven years.
Tickets for this year’s fair concert went on sale to the general public March 6.
The coronavirus pandemic had already made an impact on events at the fairgrounds, including the cancelation of the Spring Explosion Automobile Derbies that were set for April 24 through 26. Auctions typically held at the fairgrounds have also been canceled.
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