Joey Feek Dies: Country Singer Loses Dramatic Cancer Battle

Joey Feek has died after her public battle with cancer from a bed in hospice, her husband and singing partner Rory Martin Feek wrote on his blog. The 40-year-old country singer was diagnosed with cervical cancer in June 2014.

"At 2:30 this afternoon, as we were gathered around her, holding hands and praying, my precious bride breathed her last," Rory Feek said Friday. "And a moment later took her first breath on the other side."

Rory Feek, who sang with her in the award-winning country music duo Joey + Rory, had chronicled his wife's struggles on his blog "This Life I Live."

Joey Feek was diagnosed with cancer four months after giving birth to the couple's daughter, Indiana Boone, and underwent surgery in early 2015 along with chemotherapy and radiation, said Rolling Stone. Their daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome after she was born.

Rory Feek had already made a name for himself as a hit songwriter by the time he and Joey Feek formed their duo and competed in the CMT series "Can You Duet" in 2008. They won a recording contract with Sugar Hill Records after placing third in the televised contest, noted Rolling Stone.

Joey + Rory were nominated for their first Grammy Award this year for best country duo/group performance for their song "If I Needed You." Little Big Home won that category last month for the song "Girl Crush," said "Entertainment Tonight."

The couple had won awards from the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, noted Rolling Stone.

The duo released the album "Hymns That Are Important to Us" last month with a special deluxe edition to raise money for Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation to be sold through Cracker Barrel restaurants, noted the country music website The Boot.

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