Rory Feek Pays Tribute to Late Wife Joey During 2017 GRAMMY Awards: It Was Her Dream to Make a Hymns Album
Rory Feek gave an emotional acceptance speech in memory of his late wife, Joey Feek, during a pre-telecast of the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday.
"My wife's dream was to make a hymns album, pretty much her whole life," he said, while accepting the award for Best Roots Gospel Album for their album, Hymns That Are Important to Us.
EXCLUSIVE: Rory Feek Reacts to GRAMMY Nomination: Late Wife Joey 'Was So Proud' of 'Hymns' Album
"She didn't have a chance to do it until she had been diagnosed with stage four cancer, and so she sang her vocals in hotel rooms while she did chemo and radiation," he continued.
Hymns was the couple's seventh and final album, released on Feb. 12, 2016. Less than one month later, on March 4, Joey died following a lengthy battle with cancer.
"It finally came out a year ago and we sat together in the final days and watched this awards ceremony last year," he shared. "She said, 'If we get nominated, promise me you will come.' I said, 'I will.' And, she said with a smile, 'Remember, if we win, I'll know before you know.'"
"This is to my wife," he concluded.
WATCH: Joey and Rory Feek: Remembering the Sweetest Moments From Their Final Year Together
During an interview with ET's Sophie Schillaci on Sunday, Feek said he tried to share the good new with his daughter, Indiana.
"I just actually tried to FaceTime her," he said. "But, she [might be] playing outside with her grandma. Joey's mother is with her, and also my daughters. And, she's just precious."
"She turns three next week, actually this Friday," he continued. "So, it's a big week for us. Joey's family is coming down to our farm in Tennessee, and we're gonna have a birthday party."
Joey was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014, just months after giving birth to Indiana. In October 2015, Joey shared the news that her cancer was terminal, and that she had decided to stop treatment. She was 40 years old at the time of her death.
Related Gallery
