Chris Young Tributes Joe Diffie During ‘ACM Presents: Our Country’ Pre-Show

Chris Young was one of the performers during the ACM Presents: Our Country pre-show on Sunday, offering a tribute to Joe Diffie during the online-only show. Young performed an acoustic version of Diffie’s hit “Pickup Man,” playing his guitar while sitting in what appears to be his kitchen.

“We’re gonna miss you, Joe,” Young said at the end of the video. Ahead of the show, he shared a clip of his performance and wrote that he was “honored to honor” Diffie with the song. “Pickup Man” was released in 1994 as the second single from Diffie’s album Third Rock From the Sun. It became his longest-running No. 1, spending four weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Diffie died on March 29 at age 61 due to complications from the coronavirus. After his death was reported, Young was one of the many stars who paid tribute to the singer on social media, posting a screenshot of himself listening to Diffie’s “Ships That Don’t Come In.”

“I used to drive back and forth from Texas to TN listening to nothing but @officialjoediffie songs,” Young wrote. “I was lucky to get to know him… #RIP.”

In a second post, the 34-year-old shared a closeup video of himself singing “Ships That Don’t Come In.” “Nothing left to do but sing… this one hurts #ripjoediffie,” his caption read.

ACM Presents: Our Country aired in place of the ACM Awards on Sunday night. The show was rescheduled for September due to the coronavirus and the special featured a number of stars performing from their homes. Performers during the main show included Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown & John Legend, Luke Bryan, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Old Dominion, Brad Paisley & Darius Rucker, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani, Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban. The pre-show also featured Lauren Alaina, Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Lee Brice, Blanco Brown, Lindsay Ell, Riley Green, Mickey Guyton, Caylee Hammack, Ashley McBryde, Jake Owen, Carly Pearce and Tenille Townes.

While Young honored Diffie during the pre-show, Bryan, Paisley and Rucker paid tribute to the late Kenny Rogers during the televised portion of the special.