Joe Logan Diffie was born and raised in Tulsa , Oklahoma , where he was immersed in music from a young age. His first public performance came in his aunt's country band when he was only four. It was songwriting, interestingly enough, that lured Diffie to Nashville after his song "Love On The Rocks" was recorded by Hank Thompson.
Diffie found work in the Nashville-area Gibson guitar plant and soon established himself as one of Music Row's top demo singers. "When I first came to Nashville I sang a lot of demo recordings--songs that would be pitched to other artists," he explains. "I had worked in a foundry in Oklahoma , and singing for a living seemed like a piece of heaven. I took it very seriously, making sure I told each song's story the way I thought the songwriter intended.
"I'd written a few songs that had been recorded," he continues. "Holly Dunn recorded my song, 'There Goes My Heart Again,' and when I heard her version it confirmed that her interpretation of my lyrics was what made it a hit. So I've always learned the 'story' before I sing the song."
That innate sense of phrase and meaning, that relentless attention to detail, served Diffie well as he made the transition from demo singer to major label recording artist. Early hits including
"Home", "If You Want Me To", "If The Devil Danced In Empty
Pockets", and "New Way To Light Up An Old Flame" established Diffie as, arguably, country music's foremost balladeer.
As his career progressed, Joe began flashing a more playful side on up-tempo smashes like
"John Deere Green", "Third Rock From The
Sun", "Bigger Than The Beatles" and "Prop Me Up Beside The Jukebox (If I
Die)". Throughout the 90s, Joe used his steady radio success to build a solid fan base while notching his belt with 17 top 10 hits,
2 platinum albums and 2 gold albums.
When his deal with Sony finally expired after the 2001 release of In Another World , Joe began taking more of his career in hand. He signed with Broken Bow Records, one of Music Row's preeminent independent labels. And he began making
music - donning the producer's hat for the first time in his career, enlisting Lonnie Wilson and Buddy Cannon as co-producers.
The roster of top shelf contributors to his latest album, Tougher Than Nails, is indicative of just how much weight Diffie's remarkable instrument carries in the country community. Wilson, a noted session drummer and producer, and the acclaimed Cannon (Kenny Chesney) are only the beginning. The songs bear writer credits from A-list writers like Frank Meyers, Leslie Satcher, Harley Allen, Shawn Camp and Bobby Tomberlin. George Jones, with whom Diffie won a 1993 CMA Award, voices a duet with Diffie on
"What Would Waylon Do?".
More than the stellar supporting cast, Tougher Than Nails is a singular statement from its principal. "This album shows more of
me - the way I was raised, where I am in life, how I approach
things - than anything else I've recorded," Diffie says. "Probably because I wrote so much of it. I've always gravitated toward substance over sizzle, and this album really displays the inner workings of my creativity. It's got substance."
Joe Logan Diffie was born and raised in Tulsa , Oklahoma , where he was immersed in music from a young age. His first public performance came in his aunt's country band when he was only four. It was songwriting, interestingly enough, that lured Diffie to Nashville after his song "Love On The Rocks" was recorded by Hank Thompson.
