Country singers Joey and Rory Feek haven’t had too much to celebrate lately, since Joey was diagnosed with Stage 4 cervical cancer in 2014.
Now in hospice care and terminally ill, Joey has been on bedrest, spending as much time as possible with her daughter Indiana, 2, and her stepdaughters Hopie and Heidi, Rory’s children from a previous marriage.
READ MORE: Joey Feek keeping daughters close, growing plants in her final days, says husband Rory
Throughout the ordeal, Joey and Rory have had their music, and now it’s being rewarded on a grand scale. Joey + Rory’s latest album, Hymns, is on the top of both the Billboard country music and Christian music charts.
It is the first time Joey + Rory find themselves in the No. 1 spot on both charts.
Additionally, Hymns landed at No. 4 on Billboard’s 200 chart. This marks Joey + Rory’s first Top 10 album on the Billboard 200 chart with 70,000 units sold, also giving the pair their career-best sales week.
Despite being nominated for a Grammy Award (Joey + Rory were nominated for Best Country Group/Duo performance, but lost to Little Big Town), Rory refused to leave Joey’s side. The couple watched the show from the hospice.
READ MORE: Rory Feek says cancer-stricken wife, Joey, is “ready to die“
Rory wrote a post to the couple’s blog, expressing his joy at the success of the album and once again reiterating how much he loves his wife:
Our manager Aaron called us yesterday morning and told us that lots of folks have been buying our new Hymns album and that stores across the country have had a hard time keeping them in stock since they went on sale earlier this week. I put it on speaker phone so Joey could listen and hear the wonderful news and say hi to Aaron. When we hung up, Joey and I sat there holding hands… knowing that in time those sales could turn into some income for our family and that could really help, now that there are no more concerts or income from shows. We talked about what a blessing it was, and then she looked at me very seriously and said, “I need you to do something for me….” I told her I would be glad to. Then with all the sincerity in the world, she said, “I need you to be generous… God has blessed us so much. We need to bless others.”
God I love that woman.
In a November 2015 interview with The Tennessean, Joey insists she’s not mad at any higher power about her affliction.
READ MORE: Rory Feek shares sweet Valentine’s Day photo with dying wife Joey Feek
“I pray that one morning I just don’t wake up,” she said. “But I don’t fear anything because I’m so close to God and we’ve talked about it so many times. I know he’s close. And I know he loves me. I’m really at peace. I still believe there’s healing in prayer.”