From tan lines to twang, these country Christmas songs prove not every holiday tune needs snow to sparkle — and that’s what makes them so fun Continue reading…

It’s that time of year again. If you’re like me and you hate Christmas music…well, we’ll get through it together. But if you’re one of those people who started listening to Christmas music on November 1, chances are you’ve already heard this song a few hundred times this year. (No, I’m not talking about the Mariah Carey song, but everybody’s already heard that one a million times too). “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” remains one of the most popular songs of the holiday season, despite the fact that it was released way back in 1958. It got a boost in popularity with a whole new audience back in the ’90s when the song was featured in Home Alone, and it’s been a staple of holiday playlists ever since. Written by Johnny Marks, who also penned holiday classics like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Holly Jolly Christmas,” the song was recorded by Brenda Lee – who was only 13 years old at the time. Lee herself says that she has no idea why she was asked to record the song, but recalls that her producer Owen Bradley wanted to make sure that the young child was in the Christmas spirit when she recorded it (in the middle of summer). So he decorated the studio with a Christmas tree and had the band members dress as Santa. And according to Lee, it worked: “It was a lot of fun. It really was. The warmth of the studio, the laughter, the magic—it all just took hold that day.” Of course, plenty of people are shocked when they find out that it wasn’t a 60-something year old lady but actually a 13-year old little girl singing the song they’ve heard every holiday season: I refuse to believe Brenda Lee was only 13 when she made that song — Kat (@KathlynnDeHaan) November 24, 2023 brenda lee was 13 when she recorded Rockin Around the Christmas Tree????????? — ??????? ☆✧♡ (@estusreputation) November 21, 2023 @brookemonk_♬ Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee @justbri_always #stitch with @Joe Mele #greenscreen #musictiktok #rockingaroundthechristmastree #christmasmusic #musictok #christmas ♬ Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee @yuh.ness like WHAT?!?!? #brendalee #brendaleerockinaround #rockinaroundthechristmastree #christmas #christmasmusic ♬ Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee But at the time she recorded the song, Lee wasn’t exactly a household name, so the song actually didn’t do very well on the charts when it was first released. Lee began to break out as a star a few years later though, and the song eventually debuted on the Billboard charts and made it as high as #14 in 1960. Its real success, though, came in the 1990s when it was featured in Home Alone. (Everybody remembers the scene, when Kevin tries to make it look like there’s a rockin’ party going on at his house so that the bandits don’t think he’s there by himself). And Lee says she wasn’t even aware that they were going to use her song in the movie: “Somebody called me and said, ‘Have you seen the movie Home Alone? You ought to, because they’ve got “Rockin’” really featured in it.’ That’s when it really took off with the youngsters. I knew it was special, but you never know what’s going to be a hit — if you did, we’d all have hits every day. It has been a wonderful gift.” And in 2023, her hit song helped Lee hit another milestone: The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time, 65 years after it was originally released, making Lee the oldest artist to reach #1 on the chart at 79 years old – for a song she recorded when she was only 13. To be fair, Lee definitely sounded older than she was on the recording. And she still sounds pretty much the same when she sings it today – something she does in every show, whether it’s around Christmas or not: “It’s funny. I still sing it in every show—winter, summer, spring or fall.” The post Did You Know Brenda Lee Was Only 13 Years Old When She Recorded “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree?” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Stephen Wilson Jr. has lived many different lives. In case you didn’t know, the “I’m A Song” singer hasn’t been a singer-songwriter his entire life. At first, he was a boxer – as his father had trained him to be. Then, he went to Middle Tennessee State University and studied microbiology. After he graduated with his bachelor’s degree, he went to work for the MARS company. Unaffiliated with space… rather, the MARS company that makes candy and pet food. Wilson Jr. got into more detail about that portion of his life during an interview on This Past Weekend with Theo Von. The 46-year-old country star told the comedian and podcaster that his educational background actually set up him to be a scientist rather than an artist: “I have a lot of training in science. I went to Middle Tennessee State University, and I worked at MARS, the food company, in research and development for them as a food scientist. I worked in pet food for them, which is based out of Nashville.” Interestingly enough, Wilson Jr. says that he witnessed a lot of co-workers and higher-ups at MARS eating the pet food that they were creating. He said a lot of people did it to prove they were “tough,” which seems a little weird… but I’m sure it did happen. Stephen Wilson Jr. never got in on that. He preferred to just make the pet food, and he actually invented a dog treat that you have probably heard of (or even tossed to your furry friend at one point): “It’s called Dentastix Fresh. It’s still on the market. I see it out there. It’s for dogs. It’s a teeth-cleaning dental chew, very digestible. That’s my baby right there. That was one of my products that I launched from start to finish. It’s cool to see it out there still doing it’s thing.” Now when you walk down the pet aisle at the grocery, you can point at the Dentastix and say, “Stephen Wilson Jr. created that.” Theo Von was blown away by that revelation, and suggested that the country music artist should toss the dog treats out to end his concerts. Wilson Jr. was a fan of the idea, and even said he could take it a step further: “I probably need to start chucking them out there. Just take a bite out of it and (toss it in the crowd).” Wouldn’t that be something? Doesn’t hurt to promote an invention of yours at your own concert. Though I said earlier that Wilson Jr. hasn’t always been an artist, he has been writing poetry and songs his entire life. He even taught himself how to play guitar, and was in a band during college, but he left that side project as he entered into his professional years as a product development scientist. He also briefly worked as a vet tech. However, the career of music always enticed him, and he was often writing and thinking of music while he was on the job. At one point, Wilson Jr. finally decided that his life was meant to be used doing something else. Though his father’s passing in 2018 is often listed as a catalyst to changing his career path to music, it certainly seems like the country music artist was headed towards writing and performing in music before that moment. So in his late 30s and early 40s, when others are settling into their jobs or even prematurely dreaming about retirement, Wilson Jr. started freshly paving his own way in the music industry. And you can hear Stephen Wilson Jr. talk more about that in the interview with Theo Von below: The post “That’s My Baby Right There” – Country Music Star, Stephen Wilson Jr., Created Dentastix… Yes, The Dental Treat For Dogs first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

You won’t believe what country star Tyler Farr just revealed about his adventures at the Aldean mansion's pool—it's a story that has everyone talking. Continue reading…

One could say that “Stand By Me” changed Stephen Wilson Jr.’s life. The world really took notice of the 46-year-old country music artist when he took center stage at the 2025 CMA Awards and played a cover song. Some thought it would have been a perfect moment for Wilson Jr. to shine a light on his own work, but he wasn’t worried about that. He wanted to make sure that his late father was there in spirit on his big night. Stephen Wilson Jr. has a special connection to “Stand By Me,” which was co-written and originally released by Ben E. King in 1961. It’s since been covered a multitude of times, and there might not be a better cover than Stephen Wilson Jr.’s. And as the artist explained on This Past Weekend with Theo Von, he was never looking for that song… instead, it kind of found him: “The reason why I play the song ‘Stand By Me’ is because two weeks after he died, I was scheduled to play this songwriter festival in Deadwood, South Dakota. It’s a very spiritually charged area. And the guy that runs it says, ‘You don’t have to play any music. I know you are in a bad, bad spot.’ I hadn’t slept in a week. He was like, ‘Just come here and see what happens.'” Suddenly, having the track stuck in his head made sense. An opportunity presented itself at that very festival, and Stephen Wilson Jr. – who wasn’t even officially an artist at the time – felt as though he was being guided by some higher power to sing the cover: “At the end of the festival, they asked all the writers and stuff, ‘If you wanted to play a cover, what’s your favorite cover?’ They did this big finale, and I had been – for some reason, for about a year prior to my dad’s death – singing the song ‘Stand By Me’ the exact way I play it now. That song has haunted me my whole life because of the movie ‘Stand By Me.’ I very much saw myself in the writer that was trying to find a voice, the nerdy little writer kid. That song was threaded so brilliantly throughout that film, and it’s obviously the title.” Wilson Jr. thinks the Rob Reiner directed film probably played a role in the song holding a place so close to his heart. And that tidbit hits especially hard because it was earlier this month that Rob Reiner and his wife were brutally murdered in their Los Angeles home. Reiner got his start in the entertainment industry back in the late 1960s with small roles in shows like The Andy Griffith Show and The Beverly Hillbillies, then broke out starring in All In the Family. While he continued acting, Reiner came to be known more for his work as a director on critically-acclaimed films like When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, A Few Good Men and the aforementioned Stand By Me. Stephen Wilson Jr. says the film left a lasting impact on him, and it now means even more to him because of his connection to the song that helps him feel the presence of his father: “The song haunted me because of that movie, and I just started playing it. When my dad died, fast forward to Deadwood, all I could play was ‘Stand By Me.’ I started playing it, and I had never really played it for anybody like that. The whole place just went crazy… I swear to God (my dad) was on my shoulders like a little kid. I got so addicted to that feeling. He was there. He showed up. And I truly believe he showed up at Bridgestone at the CMAs. He showed up that night.” Watch the bone-chilling CMA Awards performance of “Stand By Me.” The post Stephen Wilson Jr. Explains How The Rob Reiner-Directed Movie, ‘Stand By Me,’ Sparked A Deep Connection To The Ben E. King Song first appeared on Whiskey Riff.