SAG-AFTRA Issues Statement on Passing of Joey Feek

SAG-AFTRA mourns the passing of Joey Martin Feek, one half of the award-winning duo Joey + Rory. Feek passed away Friday, March 4, after a battle with cancer. She was 40.

Fans first met Joey and her husband Rory Feek when the two appeared on the CMT talent search show Can You Duet in 2008. Their debut single, Cheater, Cheater, rose to No. 30 on Billboard's country radio charts, and they went on to release seven more albums. On Dec. 7, the pair received their first Grammy nomination for best country duo/group performance. Their final album, Hymns That Are Important To Us, topped Billboard's country album sales chart in February.

But it was Feek's brave battle with cervical cancer and her husband's blog posts chronicling their battle that endeared the couple to scores of people who had never heard their music or considered themselves country music fans.

"People from all over the world have gotten to know what an incredible talent and person Joey Feek was," said SAG-AFTRA Nashville Local President Michael Montgomery. "Her faith in God, family and her love of music were an inspiration to millions."

"If you ever met Joey, you knew immediately that she was someone special. She was one of the kindest, most approachable people you could imagine," said SAG-AFTRA Nashville Local Executive Director Richard Van Syckle.

Joey Feek is survived by husband Rory Feek; stepdaughters Heidi Caroline Feek and Sarah Hope Feek and daughter Indiana Boon Feek; parents Jack and June Martin; and sisters Jody Martin, Julie Snyder and Jessie May; as well as many nieces and nephews.

SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. With national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide, SAG-AFTRA members work together to secure the strongest protections for media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online atSAGAFTRA.org. Follow SAG-AFTRA on Twitter (twitter.com/sagaftra), YouTube (youtube.com/sagaftra) and Facebook (facebook.com/sagaftra).