There’s no greater feeling than sharing your passion with your child.
When Indiana, also known as Indy, was just a little baby, she used to join her parents, Rory and Joey Feek, on stage during their shows. Even after Joey passed away from cervical cancer when Indy was only two years old, Rory continued performing, and little Indy kept appearing on stage with her dad.
Recently, Indy expressed her wish to perform alongside her father. Rory quickly thought of the perfect song – one he had known and loved for decades. It’s a song called “Daddy What If” by Shel Silverstein. Rory helped Indy learn the lyrics, just like he did with his oldest daughter, Heidi, when she was Indy’s age. He even changed the lyrics from “Daddy” to “Papa” because that’s what Indy calls him.
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Rory typed out the lyrics and drew pictures next to the parts Indy would sing. Indiana practiced whenever she could. She was thrilled to sing a real song with her Papa.
“She was so proud of herself and so happy that she could sing a real song with her Papa.”
“By Christmas time, she was joining me on stage to sing it in front of the room full of folks who’d traveled from all across the country to be with us… and oh, what a special moment it was for her, for me, and for the surprised people in the concert hall,” he wrote.
After their onstage performance, Rory had an idea. What if they recorded the song in a studio? What if they made their own video? Finally, Rory released a special song to celebrate Father’s Day.
Reflecting on the moment, Rory thought of his father, Joey’s father Jack, and his older daughters Heidi and Hopie. He appreciated the gift of being a father to them and to Indiana. He couldn’t help but think of Joey and how she would have cherished this moment—hearing their little one sing with her Papa and witnessing the beautiful young lady she was becoming.
The duet was incredibly sweet and moving, and Rory hoped it wouldn’t be the last time they sang together.