Where Are They Now: Joe Diffie

In 1994, Joe Diffie was on a roll. He was riding the wave of Prop me Up Beside The Jukebox and kept going with songs like Third Rock From The Sun and Pickup Man. But as all things do, the fun came to an end. In 2002, he had his last hit on Country radio.

Flash forward to 2013. A bold singer named Jason Aldean records a song called 1994, which mentions Joe Diffie and is peppered with references to Diffie's songs. Now, Joe Diffie is back in the spotlight! Just like that.

The question is, what was Diffie up to in between 2002 and now? Well, in 2004 he made an album called Tougher Than Nails and continued to tour frequently. It wasn't the end of new music for Joe, however. In 2008, he signed with Rounder Records and put out an album in 2010 called Homecoming: The Bluegrass Album. A what? You have to go back farther in his life to know that Joe Diffie started his career in a Bluegrass band called Special Edition. And he wrote songs, which got recorded. Off to Nashville he went and left Bluegrass behind.

He's quite happy mixing Country and Bluegrass at shows and the crowd loves it. Could a new album be in the works now that Diffie is back in the spotlight? You bet! And could he collaborate with Jason Aldean? Jason threw it out there! Diffie is one of Aldean's biggest influences, you see. Joe could also appear in the video for 1994. Which he should!

So, we wait. And enjoy the fun of Joe Diffie's live shows. And the Diffie Family Cookbook, if you're hungry. I didn't mention that? His family compiled a pile of delish recipes to share with the fans.

It could be the beginning of another roll for Joe Diffie.