We lost a good one.

Joe Diffie passed away on March 29 from complications of COVID-19.

The Oklahoma native topped the charts with “Home,” “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets),” “Third Rock From the Sun,” “Pickup Man” and “Bigger Than the Beatles” in the 1990s. Joe also struck a chord with his Top 5 signature hits “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)” and “John Deere Green,” the latter of which became his most requested song at concerts.

Over the course of his 30-plus-year career, Joe earned a number of awards and honors, including:

• CMA Award for Vocal Event of the Year in 1993 for “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair”
• Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration in 1998 for “Same Old Train”
• Induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2002

However, Joe was especially proud of one accomplishment—his induction into the Grand Ole Opry on Nov. 27, 1993.

During one of his last sit-down interviews in December 2019, Joe reflected on what being a member of the Opry for 26 years meant to him.

“It’s one of—if not the—biggest milestone in my career,” said Joe. “It makes you feel proud to say you’re a member of the Grand Ole Opry. It’s just been such a, obviously, revered institution for so long. There’s just something special about it.”

You can listen to Joe’s entire 10-minute interview below from the NCD Writers Room Podcast with Jim Casey.