Gaither Music GroupCountry duo Joey+Rory have accomplished a career first with their new album Hymns that Are Important to Us. The collection of a dozen gospel classics bows at number one on the Billboard Country Albums chart this week, while also making an impressive number-four debut on the all-genre Billboard 200 ranking. Up until now, the husband-and-wife duo’s best showing had been in 2010, when Album Number Two peaked at number nine on the country albums ranking.
The couple’s success is bittersweet. Though they first came to prominence in 2008 on CMT’s Can You Duet reality competition and went on to win the 2009 ACM for Top New Vocal Duo, they’ve enjoyed a career resurgence just as Joey grapples with stage four cervical cancer. Along the way, Rory has kept friends and fans informed through his This Life I Live blog.
The two were nominated for the Best Country Duo/Group Performance award for their version of the Emmylou Harris/Don Williams classic “If I Needed You” at last week’s Grammys, though Little Big Town ultimately took home the trophy for “Girl Crush.” Joey+Rory are also up for Vocal Duo of the Year at the April 3 Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas.
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