Joey+Rory

The word “authentic” gets tossed around a lot by musicians and their publicists. But in the case of husband-and-wife duo Joey+Rory, it’s not just country-fried hype.

Songwriter Rory Feek and his wife, Joey, live in a farmhouse in Pottsville, Tenn., where she and her sister run a small country restaurant when Joey+Rory are not on the road. “They still heat their house with a wood stove, that’s how real it is,” agent Jay Williams of William Morris Endeavor told Pollstar.

Photo: John Davisson

“They bring a positive message and integrity that makes everyone feel good, from the fans to the promoters to the crew,” manager Matt Maher of ROAR told Pollstar.

“If you put them in front of people and let them tell their stories and sing their songs that reflect that, they win every time,” Williams added. “Our challenge is finding where they fit – we’ve tried a few different scenarios. They don’t fit rowdy honkytonk bars but they do very well in small theatre settings.”

They’ve gotten a good taste of large venues already, having opened shows this year for the Zac Brown Band. They’ll also open for Don Williams in the coming months, at the country legend’s invitation.

Photo: John Davisson

Finished third on CMT’s first season of “Can You Duet” in 2008

Named ACM’s 2010 top new vocal duo after “Cheater Cheater” charted in the Top 30