Monday (March 8) marked five years to the day since Rory Feek laid his wife, Joey Feek, to rest in a private service at the couple’s Pottsville, Tenn., farm. Now, the singer is paying homage to his late partner with a deeply personal new song, “One Angel,” and music video to match.
“One Angel” was written by Sandy Emory Lawrence, a songwriter and close friend of the couple who penned its lyrics as an outlet for her frustration and anger about the chemotherapy and radiation that Joey endured before her death.
“So here’s three fingers of tequila / One finger for the cancer / One finger for the poison they sent pouring through your veins,” Rory Feek sings in the chorus of the song. “One finger for the preacher / ‘Cause I don’t believe the Jesus / That you love so much would put you through such pain.”
“A year or so after Joey passed away, Sandy sent me a song in an email that just said, ‘… I had to get this song out of me to come to peace with the loss of my friend.’ I’ve probably listened to the song a hundred times since then,” Feek explains of “One Angel” in a new blog post sharing the song’s origins. “And I understand her feelings. Although I think I fall on the side of gratitude most of the time, I have had moments of frustration that only leave me with more questions.”
In the wake of his wife and duo partner’s death, Feek initially had no interest in performing without her. Over the years, however, his stance softened, and in January, he announced his plans to release Gentle Man, his first-ever solo album, featuring a Vince Gill collaboration as well as a cover of Bob Dylan’s classic “The Times They Are a-Changin’.”
“One Angel” is also included in the tracklist of the upcoming album, and underscores the fact that while Feek’s current musical chapter may be a solo one, Joey is still a strong presence in his music and his life.
“After all the time that’s passed, it is very clear that Joey may not be here physically, but she is still a very special part of the stories we get to tell, the songs we get to sing and the life we get to live,” Rory Feek notes.
Moreover, the music video for “One Angel” adds another personal element to the story: Lawrence’s husband, “Cowboy Jack” — who is also a close friend of the Feek family — stars in the clip, saddling up his horse and paying respects to Joey with a scenic sunset ride.
Gentle Man is due for release on June 18. Though it is the first musical venture for Rory Feek since Joey’s death, he’s remained in touch with his fans through his blog and social media over the past five years, particularly detailing his journey as a single dad to the couple’s 7-year-old daughter, Indiana.
See Joey + Rory’s Sweetest Pictures: