Rory Feek & Daughter Indy, 8, Gave A Heartwarming Duet Performance She Was 'So Proud Of'

Sep 27, 2023

Rory Feek is a country musician and songwriter. His foray into music started in his teen years when he learned to play the guitar. Before starting a music career, Rory took a detour when he served on two tours of duty in the United States Marine Corps. After his time in service, he moved to Dallas, Texas, and launched his career as a songwriter.

Later in his career, he teamed up with his wife, Joey Feek, to form the musical duo Joey + Rory. They were singers and songwriters, and Rory played acoustic guitar for their music. The happy couple got married back in 2002, six years before they officially entered the music scene as a duo.

Before the duo’s formation in 2008, Rory worked as a songwriter for several country artists, including Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney and Randy Travis. After auditioning for CMT’s “Can You Duet,” Rory and Joey signed a recording contract and quickly got to work. 

Together they released seven studio albums, one holiday album and two compilation albums. Receiving great reviews and earning recognition, the married couple continued to play around with their sound and style as they moved forward in the music industry.

On March 4, 2016, Joey passed away after a long battle with cancer, leaving Rory as the sole parent of their daughter, Indiana Feek, nicknamed Indy. The country singer is now raising his daughter, Indiana, all by himself. 

Rory often shares pictures and videos of sweet Indy doing various things, from planting a garden to singing and learning to play the piano. In one such video posted on Rory’s official YouTube channel, the father and daughter sang a duet titled “Papa What If.”

Besides his successful music career, Rory has led an interesting personal life. He has been married twice and divorced once. Rory first tied the marital bowtie on Aug. 3, 1985, to Tamara Gilmer. The former couple was married for seven years until 1992 when their marriage ended in a divorce. During the course of their union, they welcomed two daughters, Heidi Feek and Hopie Feek.

In 2002, Rory gave marriage another shot when he took the marital plunge a second time, this time with country singer Joey. The lovebirds were married for 14 years until 2016 when Joey passed away after battling with metastatic cervical cancer. 

Rory and Joey shared a genuine bond that was evident in their married life and music. Their strong bond was also evident during her health battle and after she lost the battle to the disease. Amid her health struggles, Rory updated fans periodically through his blog posts and has since released songs in honor of his late wife.

Two years before Joey’s demise, the couple welcomed their daughter, Indy. Shortly after her birth, she was diagnosed with Down syndrome, but her genetic condition hasn't stopped her from enjoying life and bringing smiles to the faces of millions worldwide. Joey and Rory have always been an open book, documenting their lives since they burst onto the country scene in 2008 when they appeared on the CMT competition show "Can You Duet."

Rory has a blog, “This Life I Live,” where he documents his and his daughter's life. The proud dad is devoted to his role as the sole parent of his little daughter. He knows that the job will be daunting without the girl's mother but believes Joey is there in spirit to guide him throughout the journey.

Indy is proof that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. As a little girl, she joined her parents onstage for their shows. Even after her mother’s passing, she continued to join her father onstage for his performances. However, it wasn’t until 2022 that Indy registered her interest in performing with her father. Rory knew just the perfect song for his daughter’s first performance with him. 

“It didn’t take me but a moment to think of which song it should be – one that I’ve known and loved for years. Actually for decades,” he wrote on his blog.

Like he had done with his oldest daughter, Heidi, when she was Indy’s age, the country singer taught the lyrics of Shel Silverstein’s "Daddy What If" to his daughter. He typed down the lyrics of the song, making a minor change in the lyrics with a switch from “Daddy” to “Papa.” Rory made the change in lyrics so he could reflect the name Indy calls him. On her part, Indy dutifully learned the lyrics and started performing with her father in no time.

“She was so proud of herself and so happy that she could sing a real song with her Papa,” Rory wrote.

“By Christmas time, she was joining me on stage to sing it in front of the room full of folks who’d traveled from all across the country to be with us… and oh, what a special moment it was for her, for me, and for the surprised people in the concert hall,” he revealed.

On June 19, 2022, Rory posted the visuals of the father-daughter duet on his YouTube channel, accompanied by a blog post acknowledging his father, Joey’s father, and his daughters, Heidi and Hopie. 

What do you think of Rory and Indiana Feek’s duet? Do you love the father-daughter duo’s version of the song? Let us know, and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family members and fellow Rory Feek fans.