Darryl Worley is mourning the loss of his tour manager and friend. Worley shares a lengthy, heartfelt post on social media, revealing that Joe Morris, a longtime employee of Worley, has passed away.

“I’m so numb that I haven’t been able to put my thoughts together,” Worley begins. “I would like to preface this by saying that it may be a total mess. We lost Joe Morris a couple days ago. He made a choice to leave this world before his time. I still can’t believe it, and my heart won’t seem to accept the truth, but he is gone. He’s been my right arm for almost 20 years. He has looked after me and my wife and family in such an amazing way.

“Yes, we butted heads sometimes, but that’s how you know you have a real friend,” Worley continues. “He ran a tight ship, and we were all like his kids. He wanted us to be safe, on time, and well fed. Joe was my tour manager, and God knows he had his hands full with Darryl (DeRail) Worley. He was gentle and kind in most situations, but he certainly knew how to turn it up. I won’t go into great detail, but we’ve seen some intense moments together.”

Darryl Worley Reflects On Joe Morris’ Legacy

Worley goes on to share that Morris served in Vietnam in 1969, when “American forces saw the most casualties.” Although Morris didn’t like to talk about that time, he did with Worley.

“His service was something he never wanted to discuss until he met me,” Worley says. “He was one of my heroes, and I have a few. I pounded on him about how he should get his benefits and how he should be proud of his service to this great nation. He did all that and more. Joe even traveled back to the war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq with me several times. What a blessing he has been to me and my family, and it’s hard to imagine going on without him in my camp.”

The “Have You Forgotten Singer” credits Morris for trying to combat PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), which he dealt with ever since he was in the service.

“I don’t think his PTSD was the be-all and end-all,” Worley says. “He had made some incredible strides in that arena. Special thanks to his veterans groups for taking Joe in. Y’all changed his life in an amazing way. It’s magical what love can do when administered in the proper way. Life is complicated, no matter how you look at it. There are always dozens of forces at work on us at all times. I’m so very proud of the progress that Joe had made, but I also know that when everything comes down on you at one time, it can be a perfect storm. Even though it probably played some part in it, I won’t give PTSD full credit for taking out my friend Joe Morris.

“There were a lot of different factors involved, and in the end he lost the battle,” he adds. “I loved him like I love my brothers, and I’m not mad anymore. I’m just broken, empty, and a little bit lost. I’ll be just fine because I have my family and my God. My heart goes out to people that can’t say that.”

Darryl Worley Talks About Moving Forward Without Joe Morris

Worley says they are planning a memorial service for Morris, and vows to help Morris’s wife, Lisa, along with other family members.

“Please pray for us and the family as we navigate these rough waters,” Worley writes. “Joe Morris was my friend and my brother. We covered a lot of ground together, and we had each other’s back. I’ve never met anyone more selfless or more loyal than Joe Morris … My favorite conversations with Joe are the ones we had about God. We have stayed up all night a few times when we’d get into that one. I know people believe differently about things, and I’m not here to argue, but I think I know where Joe Morris is, and I can’t bring myself to say goodbye. I love you, Joe, and I’ll see ya later.”

Read Worley’s entire tribute here. Everything Nash extends our deepest condolences to Worley, and Morri’s family and friends.