Toby Keith’s Final Studio Recording Was A Joe Diffie Cover [LISTEN]

Toby Keith’s final recording before he passed away was released on March 29 as part of a tribute album for fellow ’90s country star Joe Diffie.

Friday morning, HARDY unveiled the third installment of the HIXTAPE series, a series of albums that features collaborations between HARDY and other country artists. The latest album, HIXTAPE Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE, is the first of the series that is solely dedicated to another artist and their impressive catalog of hits.

For HIXTAPE Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE, HARDY recruited some of the biggest names in country music to cover 17 of Joe Diffie’s greatest hits. According to a press release issued ahead of the album’s release, DIFFTAPE utilized “2006 master recordings of Diffie’s greatest hits in tandem with all new recordings from some of country music’s biggest stars and more.”

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The lineup includes Lainey Wilson, Clint Black, Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Brooks & Dunn, and many more! But, all eyes are one the collaborative recording from Joe Diffie, Luke Combs, and Toby Keith as it marked the final recording from Keith before his February 5th death.

Toby Keith and Luke Combs recorded accompanying vocals for Joe Diffie’s 1992 hit song “Ships That Don’t Come In.”

About “Ships That Don’t Come In”

Written by Paul Nelson and Dave Gibson, “Ships That Don’t Come In” tells the story of two strangers bonding over stories of “roads untraveled” and “love untrue” then sharing a toast to those who have spent their whole lives waiting for “ships that don’t come in.”

The song never topped the charts for Diffie, but the rare ballad from the singer became one of his most iconic and beloved songs.

Joe Diffie passed away on March 29, 2020, of coronavirus complications.

Following Joe Diffie’s death, Toby Keith remembered his late friend and promised that his music would live on.

“A great traditional voice will live on cuz I’m putting his music on now. Here’s a beer to ya, Joe. Go get your reward,” Toby wrote on social media.

Keith likely didn’t know at the time that he would be lending his voice to a Joe Diffie classic that would immortalize them both as some of the most iconic voices in country music history.

Toby Keith died on February 5th, 2024, after a valiant battle with stomach cancer. In the months leading up to his passing, the legendary artist had been open about his health. But, his death came as a shock to fans who thought that he was doing better due to public appearances that included a brief Vegas residency, a performance at the People’s Choice Country Awards, and occasional social media appearances.

Hear Joe Diffie, Luke Combs, and Toby Keith sing “Ships That Don’t Come In” in the video below.