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JOE DIFFIE
GREATEST HITS

Most of Joe Diffie's milestones are measured in millions. In eight years, his songs have been played on radio an amazing 25 million times. He's sold over five million records, and performed live to millions of fans. With 14 Top 10 songs to draw from, the newly released Joe Diffie Greatest Hits is the ultimate career capstone, and much more than a collection of great music. It's another strike in the seemingly endless vein of precious metal that's become Joe's stock in trade.

Joe Diffie Greatest Hits is a 12-song testament--written in platinum and solid gold--to a man who has established his place as one of the definitive country artists of this decade. And even though this regular Joe is shy to sing his own praises, few would argue that Joe Diffie is indeed one of country music's all-time great vocalists.

From the soul-deep wisdom and heart-rending emotion of his classic ballad, "Ships That Don't Come In," to the ingenious wit of his signature smash, "Third Rock From the Sun," and the three new hits-to-be that the album comprises, Joe sets the standard for a new generation of country artists and fans. And the nine No. 1 songs he's left in his trail underscore his deep and enduring connection with the masses.

"I can't do a song that isn't honest and genuine," Joe explains. "Before I sing anything, it has to make a real-life connection with me. And then people can see pieces of their own lives in there. I'm a country boy from Oklahoma, and what touches me are the same things that touch a lot of folks.

Joe has made a career of seeing magic in much of what the world would call mundane. His 1995 chart-topper, "Bigger Than the Beatles," is a perfect case-in-point. The song tells the story of a couple who lead lives that most people think of as completely "ordinary." Yet in each other's eyes, their life and love couldn't be more special and extraordinary.

And the same could be said of Joe's Greatest Hits. The effect of 12 back-to-back Diffie masterpieces is staggering--and leaves no doubt that he is not only a terrific singer, Joe Diffie is a stylist and interpreter of singular--even stunning-range and diversity.

Looking for humor? "Pickup Man" is a side-splitting saga of the timeless love affair between a man and his truck. True and tender love? "So Help Me Girl" is your ticket. How about 100-proof-no-chaser country? "Honky Tonk Attitude" and "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)" are as straight-up as it gets. Or perhaps a modern-day parable. "Ships That Don't Come In" resounds with hard-won, life-changing insight and revelation.

"John Deere Green" takes a rocking country look at the light-hearted side of small-town life, while Joe's debut single, "Home," earned him a place in posterity - and the record books in 1990, when it shot to out of the box to the top of the charts, stirring memories and tugging heartstrings all across America.

But that was then. And as great as it was--and remains--the "now" gets even better. With all-star producer Don Cook at the helm, revered for his multi-million selling work with Brooks & Dunn, and a host of country superstars, the three new songs Joe cut for Greatest Hits evidence an artist incapable of sitting still creatively, and determined to stretch himself beyond the boundaries of established perceptions and expectations.

"It's no coincidence that Don has been behind so many hit records," says Joe. "He's got a feel for great songs, and he is a master at getting the best out of his musicians. We'd never worked together before. The newness of the relationship shook things up in a really positive way. And along with Lonnie Wilson, who co-produced, I think we found a pocket that took us to a place that is consistent with what's gone before, but at the same time is fresh and a little different. "

"Texas Size Heartache" lays country fiddles and guitars atop a popping, infectious groove, as it paints a picture of a let-down as big as the Lone Star State itself. In "Hurt Me All the Time" a delighted lover dispels rumors of his partner's unfaithfulness. And "Poor Me" is a classic, late-night roadhouse lament worthy of legends with names like Haggard and Jones. As Joe swaggers into the million-dollar hook ("Poor me/Poor me/Pour me another"), both his reverence for his mentors and his own worthiness to stand in their hallowed company are obvious.

Joe was raised in a musical home where extended-family jam sessions were a normal event. He made his public debut at age four, singing "You Are My Sunshine," accompanied by his aunt's country band. Stints in a "four-song, high-school garage band" segued into a gospel quartet and a bluegrass group in Joe's early 20s as he continued to expand his horizons. Seriously bitten with the music bug, it wasn't long before Joe lit out for Music City and a stab at the big time. A job at Gibson Guitar's Nashville plant paid the bills while Joe shopped his songs on Music Row. The job cemented a relationship with the legendary company that continues to this day through endorsements and customized guitars.

When Holly Dunn had a major hit in 1989 with "There Goes My Heart Again," co-written by Joe, the value of his stock increased considerably. By that time he'd also become a sought-after demo singer whose voice was winding up on the desks of producers, artists and label executives all over town. As the 80s ended, Joe graduated to a record deal of his own and within a year had laid claim to a permanent stake atop the country charts.

Throughout the 90s, Joe's fevered chart activity has been accompanied by equally fervent charitable and humanitarian work. Himself the parent of a Down Syndrome child, Joe has worked tirelessly on behalf of Nashville's First Steps, an organization dedicated to loving, teaching and nurturing physically and mentally handicapped children. Sponsoring the star-studded, yearly "Country Steps in for First Steps" concert, and the annual "Joe Diffie Charity Golf Classic," he's raised more than a half-million dollars for the group, with this year's concert proceeds of $80,000 doubling 1997 and setting an all-time record. Joe was also selected this year by the Nashville Council of Community Services as its first "Honorary Unsung Hero" for his extensive charity work, as well as the Country Radio Broadcasters' Artist Humanitarian Award in 1997.

Joe Diffie is a man who has received a lot from country fans and the industry itself. And he's never hesitated to give back generously in return.

Joe's outlook on what he does is much like his songs--truthful and to the point. "Just making great music is my only goal," he says. "If I take care of the music, the music will take care of me.
But it's Joe's thoughts on the legacy he leaves behind him that reveal volumes about both his music and the heart of the man behind it. "I hope I'd always be known as a great singer, but that's really secondary," he concludes. "If people could say,`He was a good friend....a nice guy...someone you could trust’, I'd be really satisfied. Strip everything else away, and those are the things that matter the most."

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