Artist of the day - Joey+Rory

• Husband and wife duo Rory Lee and Joey Martin Feek were third-place finalist on CMT’s “Can You Duet” in 2008. That same year they released their debut album, “The Life of a Song,” which debuted at No. 10 and remained on the charts for 50 weeks, selling 200,000 copies. Their debut single, “Cheater Cheater,” was their first Top 30 hit and also became a nationwide Top 10 Dance Club hit.
  
• Rory previously worked as a songwriter. His first song was Collin Raye’s No. 1 “Someone You Used to Know.” Others included the “The Chain of Love” by Clay Walker and the multi-week No. 1 “Some Beach” by Blake Shelton. In 2009, Rory was awarded two of ASCAP’s Most Played Song honors for “I Will” by Jimmy Wayne and “You Can Let Go” by Crystal Shawanda. Rory also wrote Easton Corbin’s No. 1 song “A Little More Country Than That.”
  
• Rory founded the independent label Giantslayer Records in 2004, on which Joey recorded the solo album “Strong Enough to Cry” in 2005.
  
• Joey+Rory have also appeared in commercials for Overstock.com and in February 2009 they were nominated for the Academy of Country Music’s Top Vocal Duo.
  
• CMT named them one of the Top 10 Artists of 2009 and they garnered a string of nominations, including CMA Vocal Duo of the Year, ACM’s Top Vocal Duo Award and CMT’s Nationwide Insurance On Your Side Award. The duo won the 2010 Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Vocal Duo.
  
• Joey+Rory released their first holiday single, “It’s Christmas Time,” and a children’s Christmas album, “Merry Kidsmas,” in December 2009.
  
• Joey+Rory released “Album No. 2,” in September 2010. Rory co-wrote the lead single, “This Song’s For You,” with Zac Brown. The song features the Zac Brown Band. Their current single is “That’s Important To Me.”
  
• Joey+Rory released a Christmas album, “A Farmhouse Christmas,” on October 11th. Merle Haggard sings on the couple’s rendition of his No. 1 hit, “If We Make It Through December.” In addition, the duo recorded “I Know What Santa’s Getting for Christmas,” written by Garth Brooks and Kent Blazy. Holiday standards on the album include “Away in a Manger” and “Blue Christmas.” The couple is also planning a Christmas tour. Sponsored by Roper Apparel and Footwear, Joey+Rory's “A Farmhouse Christmas” tour will kick off on November 25th in Anderson, Indiana, with 12 dates scheduled across the U.S. The holiday outing wraps in Boston just days before Christmas.
  
• Official Web site: www.joeyandrory.com