With his final studio performance, Toby Keith posthumously pays tribute to a fellow Oklahoma country music star gone too soon.
Keith’s moving cover of the late Joe Diffie’s 1992 ballad “Ships That Don’t Come In,” which also features vocals from Diffie and seven-time Grammy nominee Luke Combs, is included on hitmaking singer-songwriter Hardy’s new all-star collaborative album “Hixtape Vol. 3: Difftape.”
Released Friday, the third installation of Hardy’s “Hixtape” country music collaborations series is a 17-track tribute to Diffie, the Grammy-winning Tulsa native who died March 29, 2020, of COVID-19 complications at the age of 61.
In partnership with Diffie’s estate, Hardy’s new “Difftape” uses never-before-heard 2006 master recordings of Diffie’s greatest hits in tandem with new recordings from more than 30 music stars, including fellow Oklahoma natives Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire, Country Music Hall of Fame duo Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson, Darius Rucker, Post Malone, Morgan Wallen and more.
“Joe epitomized the ’90s country voice — he was so good about hearing and cutting hits, recording amazing songs,” Hardy said in a statement. “On a personal level, I only got to meet Joe once, but he was extremely nice to me, and this was in my first year of being an artist when I was an absolute nobody. He was so, so kind to me and that memory I have of him is truly special to me, too.”
Which hits by Oklahoma country star Joe Diffie are featured on the ‘Difftape’ tribute?
A 1977 Velma-Alma High School graduate, Diffie rose to country music stardom in the 1990s with a string of hits including “John Deere Green,” “Pickup Man,” “Third Rock From The Sun,” “If The Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets),” “New Way (To Light Up An Old Flame),” “Bigger Than The Beatles,” “Home,” “Honky Tonk Attitude,” “So Help Me Girl,” “Texas Size Heartache” and “Is It Cold in Here.”
All those hits are featured on the new “Difftape,” produced by Joey Moi. The tribute album closes with the previously unreleased original “Life Had Plans for Me,” featuring Diffie, his son, Parker Diffie, and Hardy.
“The song ‘Life Had Plans For Me’ holds a special place in my heart, as it symbolizes the culmination of a journey filled with memories, love, and music,” Parker Diffie said in a statement. “To have the chance to perform alongside my father one last time is an indescribable and deeply meaningful experience. … We are not only honoring the past but also creating a powerful narrative about the enduring spirit of music and love.”
Additional members of Diffie’s family contributed backing vocals on the album’s spirited rendition of his hit “Prop Me Up Beside The Jukebox (If I Die)” as part of the one-track-only supergroup the Difftones.
The thoughtful ode “Ships That Don’t Come In” was a Top 5 country hit for Diffie off his 1992 Epic Records album “Regular Joe.” Dave Gibson and Paul Nelson penned the song.
Keith’s publicist confirmed for The Oklahoman that Keith’s cover of the Diffie ballad is his last studio performance.
When Diffie died in 2020, Keith paid homage to his fellow Oklahoma country crooner on Twitter (now X), writing, “My kids grew up around his parents. My prayers will be with his family. A great traditional voice will live on cuz I’m putting his music on now. Here’s a beer to ya, Joe. Go get your reward.”
Keith died Feb. 5 after a multi-year battle with stomach cancer. He was 62.
The Country Music Hall of Fame announced earlier this month that it will add Keith posthumously to its ranks at its Oct. 20 Medallion Ceremony, where fellow hitmaker John Anderson and guitarist James Burton also will be inducted.
