In a confession as tender as it is heartbreaking, Rory Feek, the country singer and devoted husband, has finally shared what fans have long suspected: he still listens to Joey’s voice every single night—not just as a memory, but as a lifeline.
“I listen to When I’m Gone every night,” Rory quietly revealed. “It’s my way of holding on to Joey’s soul.”
It’s been years since Joey Feek lost her battle with cancer, but for Rory, time has not erased the ache. If anything, it has deepened it. And in an emotional moment of truth, Rory opened up about the ritual that brings him both comfort and sorrow—replaying the hauntingly beautiful song Joey recorded as a farewell to the world, and unknowingly, to him.
“That song was supposed to be for someone else,” Rory said. “But in the end, it was for me.”
When I’m Gone was written before Joey’s diagnosis, before the hospital rooms, the prayers, and the painful goodbyes. But now, every note carries the weight of what came after. For Rory, it has become more than music—it’s a spiritual tether, a bridge to the woman he still considers the love of his life.
“It’s like she’s right there beside me,” he said. “Her voice wraps around me, especially on the nights when the silence is too loud.”
Fans of Joey + Rory have always been moved by their faith, their music, and their unshakable love. But Rory’s recent admission offers a new layer of vulnerability—one that shows that even years after loss, grief doesn’t fade, it simply changes shape.
He speaks of their daughter, Indiana, who brings him joy, purpose, and reminders of Joey every day. But when the house is quiet and the world has gone to sleep, he returns to that one song—the one that feels like Joey’s voice reaching across time.
“Some nights I cry,” he said. “Some nights I just listen. But every night, I remember.”
What’s most striking isn’t just Rory’s devotion, but his honesty—his willingness to share that healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It means finding ways to stay connected, even when the person you love is no longer physically there.
“She asked me to live on, to raise our daughter, to keep going,” Rory said. “And I’ve tried. But listening to her sing is how I stay close to her spirit.”
In a world that often rushes past pain, Rory Feek reminds us of the sacredness of memory, the depth of true love, and the quiet ways we carry those we’ve lost.
And in doing so, he proves that even in absence, Joey’s soul still sings—through the music, through the memories, and through the heart of the man who will never stop listening.