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Carrie Underwood covered a Joe Diffie classic when she took the stage at the historic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
Underwood delivered her rendition of “Home,” a country anthem that Diffie released in the late 1980s, when she performed in the star-studded Opry lineup on Tuesday evening (June 4). Lauren Alaina, Russell Dickerson, Dailey & Vincent, Kip Moore and others were also at the Opry for the “unofficial kickoff” to CMA Fest, taking place in Nashville beginning Thursday (June 6) and running through Sunday (June 9). The Opry shared a few snippets from Tuesday evening’s show on its Inistagram story, including Underwood’s cover of “Home,” plus her performance of “Drunk and Hungover” from the deluxe Denim & Rhinestones album, 2015’s “Smoke Break,” and more.
“Home was a swimming hole/ And a fishing pole/ And the feel of a muddy road/ Between my toes/ Home was a back porch swing/ Where I would sit/ And mama'd sing 'Amazing Grace’/ While she hung out the clothes/ Home was an easy chair/ With my daddy there/ And the smell of Sunday supper on the stove/ My footsteps carry me away/ But in my mind I'm always going home”
Diffie released “Home” on his 10-track album, A Thousand Winding Roads, in 1989. Diffie died in March 2020. He was 61. Throughout his career, Diffie was known for hits like “John Deere Green,” “Pickup Man” and others. Many of his most well-known songs appear on HARDY’s HIXTAPE: Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE, a tribute to the late singer-songwriter. The project included collaborations with Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker and many others. The album also included Toby Keith’s final recorded vocal on “Ships That Don’t Come In.”
Underwood also paid tribute to Keith, who died earlier this year after a years-long battle with stomach cancer, during an Opry performance in April. Keith “passed peacefully last night on Feb. 5 surrounded by his family.” He was 62. Underwood covered “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” in his honor.