Rory Feek Announces First Album Since Wife Joey's Death

Rory Feek has new music on the way. This week the singer announced his plans to release his first album since his wife Joey Feek, died in March 2016. The project, titled Gentle Man, will be released on Gaither Records on June 18.

"I’ve been in the studio making a new album for the last few months," he wrote in a new post on his blog. "And that’s a big, big change for me. To make a record without Joey isn’t something that I was sure I’d ever do. The fact is, I’ve never made my own record. I’ve only been part of the albums that she and I made through the years. But it's been more than 5 years since we recorded the Hymns album, and I guess it was finally just time."

"So, this past fall, I went into the studio with producers Ben Isaacs and Matt Johnson and some of Nashville’s greatest musicians and recorded 14 new songs," he continued. "Fourteen stories that are about to become part of mine. And to say that I’m excited about it is an understatement."

To coincide with the album announcement, Feek also shared his rendition of a Bob Dylan classic, "The Times They Are a-Changin," the first release from Gentle Man. Speaking of the track in his blog post, the singer noted although it was written nearly 60 years ago, "it feels like it was written especially for today. For the challenging times we're going through right now."

"It was meant to be an anthem for a time when our country was changing rapidly," he explained. "For a nation that was on fire. Divided over race, free speech, politics, and many other complicated things. Just like today. A time when there was political unrest, riots in the streets, and no one knew exactly what the future held. Again, much like today."

Feek's cover of Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin" can be heard in the clip below. Additionally, the forthcoming album will also include a special collaboration with Vince Gill. Gentle Man is due out on June 18.

Photo: Getty Images