Country Star Joe Diffie Dies From Coronavirus At 61, Singers Pay Tribute

Country music singer Joe Diffie died on Sunday from complications related to coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a press release from his spokesperson. He was 61.

Diffie was one of the most popular country singers of the 90s. He had 20 Top 10 country hits, with five that went all the way to No. 1. His top hits include “Bigger Than The Beatles,” “Third Rock From The Sun,” “Pickup Man,” “Home” and “If The Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets).” He also wrote songs for stars like Tim McGraw, Conway Twitty and Jo Dee Messina.

Diffie, a Tulsa, Oklahoma native, was a member of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 25 years. The Grand Ole Opry also lost Jan Howard this week. She was 91. The country music community also lost Kenny Rogers last week. He was 81.

Joe Diffie Songs

Fans have been sharing lyrics to Diffie’s hit “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)” on social media to remember the singer.

 

Diffie’s legacy had already been memorialized in song form by Jason Aldean in the song “1994” and by Chris Young in his song “Raised On Country.”

“1994, Joe Diffie comin’ out my radio/ I’m just a country boy with a farmer’s tan/So help me girl I’ll be your Pick-Up Man,” sings Aldean in his song, in reference to Diffie’s song “Pick-Up Man.”

“I was raised on Merle, raised on Willie/Got my Honky Tonk attitude from Joe Diffie/Daddy did too, it’s family tradition,” sings Young in his song.

Country music stars remembered their friend and mentor on social media on Sunday: