Thanks to Waylon Jennings, the iconic album Willie Nelson’s 1975 Red Headed Stranger, lives on. It’s true… we all know that Waylon was a pioneer in the country music genre, and never seemed to be afraid to speak his mind and say whatever he felt. He was driven by a single-minded purpose, to make good country music, and if something got in the way of that, he’d figure out a way to get around it. He was interviewed years ago on Nashville Public Television in promotion of his book which was released in 1996, Waylon: An Autobiography. They dove deep into some of the elements that made Jennings a country music icon, and he also tells a few stories that personify his infamous outlaw spirit. John Seigenthaler, who conducted interview, pressed him on where he got his relentless drive from: “Everything [my grandpa] did was against the grain. And I more or less did that, too. But since the day I can remember the only thing, you know, I never liked to be told what to do. I just didn’t like to be told what to do. And I didn’t like for people to do things wrong. But as far as the drive I had for that, it was just something that was born in me and it’s still there. They called it outlaw, they called it all kinds of things, and all it was, was I tried to do right by people. I was taught that.” They go on to talk about a story in the book where Waylon tagged along to the studio for a meeting with executives at the label regarding Willie’s aforementioned album, which was topping the US country charts on this day in 1975. It was inspired by “Tale of the Red Headed Stranger,” a song that Willie played often as a DJ on his program in Fort Worth, Texas, in his very early days in the music industry. Of course, Willie and Waylon pioneered the country outlaw movement of the 70’s, and it’s in large part thanks to what happened with one if, of not the greatest, country album’s of all-time, Red Headed Stranger. Waylon Saves The Album At this time in the 70’s, Waylon and Willie shared a now-legendary manager, Neil Reshen, and he was the one who’d invited Waylon to the New York Columbia Records office to come listen in on the conversation. When Willie turned the project in, the record label, as well as their manager Neil, thought it was pretty thin and under-produced. There just wasn’t a lot of flash to it, minimal acoustic instrumentation, and at the end of the day, it pretty much just sounded like a demo that was ready to be taken into the studio… which is exactly what Willie Nelson was going for (and wasn’t going to change). However, the executives at Columbia decided they wanted to bring in the famous producer, Billy Sherrill, who most notably worked alongside George Jones and Tammy Wynette, to help ‘fix’ the sound of the album. That’s when Waylon chimed in on behalf of Willie in the most badass way possible, calling Columbia Records president Bruce Lundvall a “tin-eared, tone-deaf son of a b****.” He explains the how the scene unfolded in that New York office: “Bruce Lundvall, he’s quite a man, but I said, ‘take that tape off or you won’t be my manager or Willie’s, either.’ And I called him a bad name. I don’t know what he’s doing and he has not a clue about this music, and I said ‘get it off.’ So I got up and I said ‘I know I’m in your office, and I’m getting out. That’s it.'” And luckily, Bruce wanted to know why and told Waylon to sit down and explain what he was missing with the music: “I told him, ‘all of it. You’re missing the whole thing. You’re missing what 70,000 people came to Dripping Springs to hear.'” Bruce listened again and decided to release it, though he made it clear to Waylon he still thought he was dead wrong. “It wasn’t but about six months later I was coming down the stairs of my office, and I heard somebody say ‘There’s someone here to see you.’ And I said ‘Who is it?’ And he said ‘it’s that stupid…’ and repeated what I said… and he brought me a gold album. It was that ‘Red Headed Stranger’ album.” As it turns our, Bruce was a good sport about it and the gold record had a note that read: “This is from that tin-eared tone-deaf son-of-a-b****. You were right. Here’s your album.” Waylon had his finger on the pulse and understood what people wanted to listen to and what resonated with them. And while Willie ultimately had creative control over what he produced (which was pretty unheard of at the time), and wasn’t going to let them polish it up. Waylon says they probably would’ve have just shelved it hadn’t he went off on Bruce like that. In my opinion, what he says next is one of the main reasons he became so influential and important to country music. He always stood up for what he believed in and never groveled to the powers that be… because as this story clearly points out, sometimes the folks with the blank check have no clue what they’re even talking about. Sometimes, you just have to trust the artist making the art: “My problem is keeping my mouth shut. Sometimes it’s not even any of my business, but I can’t help it. When I think something, like I knew that album was right, and I couldn’t just see it die like that. And it would have. It would’ve never happened.” It’s hard to imagine how drastically different the country genre would’ve been had this record not been released… it changed everything. Willie’s label didn’t even think it was a finished album at first, because it was so bare and stripped back in terms of the production, but he proved that people wanted to hear that kind of music with the lasting success of the album. It ultimately became his first #1 country album, and changed the trajectory of the genre and defined the country sound and songwriting that made it so beautiful and unique. God bless Waylon Jennings that we all actually got to hear it… Part 2: “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” The post Waylon Jennings Is The Reason That Willie Nelson’s Iconic 1975 ‘Red Headed Stranger’ Album Actually Got Released first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Want to visit a place from classic country music lore? Chances are you’ve heard Marty Robbins’ 1959 hit song “El Paso.” Even if you think you haven’t, I’d be willing to bet that you have. It’s from Robbins’ Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs album, and for my money, it’s one of the best storytelling songs in all of country music. And the main setting of the song – Rosa’s Cantina – is a real place that you can actually visit. If you are in need of a refresher, the tune tells the story of a gunslinger who falls in love with a woman named Feleena while he’s in the town of El Paso, Texas. Specifically, the main character of the story wanders into a establishment called “Rosa’s Cantina,” which sounds like quite the vibe: “Out in the West Texas town of El PasoI fell in love with a Mexican girlNighttime would find me in Rosa’s CantinaMusic would play and Feleena would whirl.” Fans of the song know that the narrator becomes so enamored with Feleena that he shoots another man who wished to be with her dead. The aftermath of that is explained later in the song, when the main character flees Rosa’s Cantina: “Out through the back door of Rosa’s I ranOut where the horses were tiedI caught a good one, it looked like it could runUp on its back, and away I did rideJust as fast as I could from the West Texas town of El PasoOut to the badlands of New Mexico.” That’s when the story really gets good. Because his love for Feleena is so strong, he returns to Rosa’s Cantina, knowing that he’ll lose his life if he steps back inside the establishment. But as he says, his love has grown stronger than his “fear of death,” and he rides back down into El Paso to see her: “And at last here I am on the hill overlooking El PasoI can see Rosa’s Cantina belowMy love is strong and it pushes me onwardDown off the hill to Feleena I go Off to my right, I see five mounted cowboysOff to my left ride a dozen or moreShouting and shooting, I can’t let them catch meI have to make it to Rosa’s back door.” I won’t spoil the ending for you in case you haven’t heard it, but I will say that if you’ve always loved the song – or just became a big fan of it – you can visit the very place where Feleena may or may not have actually stole the heart of a gunslinger. There’s actually a lot of debate about which Rosa’s Cantina is the real, original one. Considering Robbins often played in Nashville (he was from Phoenix, Arizona), he was probably passing through El Paso when he came up with the idea of the song in the late ’50s. And that would make sense, considering Rosa’s Cantina’s has been established since 1957. And there’s also debate about whether or not the song was named after the place, or the place was named after the song. Their website explains it like this: “A bar was opened post-prohibition in the early 1940’s under a different name. In 1957, ownership changed as well as the name, to “Rosa’s Cantina.” Some people would argue that city directories show another business located at 3454 Doniphan Drive until 1961. According to the owner at the time, business was done on a handshake and city documents were not legally changed to “Rosa’s Cantina” until 1961. It has been called Rosa’s Cantina since 1957. Some believe that Marty Robbins named the song after the Rosa’s Cantina here in El Paso, and others believe that this Rosa’s Cantina was named after the song.” But regardless, a Rosa’s Cantina stands in El Paso, Texas, and has for nearly 70 years. It’s located at 3454 Doniphan Drive on El Paso’s outskirts, and describes itself as a “rustic, compact Mexican joint serving tacos, burritos and other typical eats, plus margaritas and beer.” Sounds to me like a place where you could certainly meet the love of your life: View this post on Instagram Many who have heard the song again and again over the years may have just assumed that the cantina included in the song was made up by the mind of Marty Robbins. At the very least, it was likely exaggerated, but it’s pretty cool to think that a song that will go down as one of the best in country music history has a physical, real-life location attached to it. While I plan a road trip to El Paso to visit Rosa’s Cantina, you can press play on the Grammy-award-winning song below: “El Paso” by Marty Robbins The post Did You Know You Can Actually Visit Rosa’s Cantina, Which Is Featured In Marty Robbins’ 1959 Hit, “El Paso”? first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

It’s that time of year again… When every person you follow on Instagram is sharing their Spotify wrapped or Apple Music Replay lists for all to see, and as a music lover, I actually enjoy seeing (and maybe secretly judging sometimes) what everyone is listening to. Today, Apple Music released their Replay ’25 experience, which is a personalized and insightful journey through their year in music. Of course, I’ve already gone through mine, and I’m thrilled to report that I am one of Lukas Nelson’s Top 500 listeners… so if you still haven’t gone and listened to his debut solo album American Romance yet, I’m telling you, you are sorely missing out. But in terms of the larger Apple Music streaming numbers, of course, there was one artist that was up there with the biggest musicians in the world, and that would be Morgan Wallen. He leads all artists with 12 songs in the Top 100 this year, with the title track to his massive 2025 album “I’m The Problem” coming in the highest at No. 18. Other songs like “Love Somebody,” “Just In Case,” “What I Want,” “Smile,” “Last Night,” “Cowgirls” also made the list. He’s included with other artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Drake and Post Malone on the Top Songs of 2025: Global list, which is a pretty huge accomplishment for a country singer. In 2023, Morgan’s mega hit “Last Night” was the most streamed song on Apple Music, and it’s not surprising at all to see him with so many songs on this list. I’m The Problem featured a dense 37 songs, which will always help inflate those streaming numbers, in addition to the fact that Morgan is one of the biggest artists in the world… that helps a lot, too. But regardless, Morgan continues his unprecedented run, as is evidenced by the fact that he has the most songs on the Top 100 of the globally most-streamed songs list on Apple Music list, and it seems like he only gets bigger with each passing year. He is already working on new music, and if he does put out another album next year (I think he probably will), you’ll likely see him back on this list once again. “I’m The Problem” “Love Somebody” “Just In Case” He already has a 2026 stadium tour on the books, and you can check out all the dates below. Still The Problem Tour Dates April 10 || Minneapolis, Minn. || U.S. Bank Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason April 11 || Minneapolis, Minn. || U.S. Bank Stadium w/ HARDY, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason April 18 || Tuscaloosa, Ala. || Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Vincent Mason, Zach John King May 1 || Las Vegas, Nev. || Allegiant Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 2 || Las Vegas, Nev. || Allegiant Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 8 || Indianapolis, Ind. || Lucas Oil Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Hudson Westbrook, Zach John King May 9 || Indianapolis, Ind. || Lucas Oil Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Flatland Cavalry, Zach John King May 15 || Gainesville, Fla. || Ben Hill Griffin Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King May 16 || Gainesville, Fla. || Ben Hill Griffin Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King May 29 || Denver, Colo. || Empower Field at Mile High w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 30 || Denver, Colo. || Empower Field at Mile High w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason June 5 || Pittsburgh, Penn. || Acrisure Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 6 || Pittsburgh, Penn. || Acrisure Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 19 || Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 20 || Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 26 || Clemson, SC. || Clemson Memorial Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat June 27 || Clemson, SC. || Clemson Memorial Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 17 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 18 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 24 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 25 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ HARDY, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 31 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ ​​Brooks & Dunn, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten August 1 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ Ella Langley, Hudson Westbrook, Blake WhiteThe post Morgan Wallen Leads All Of Music With The Most Songs In The Top 100 On The Global Apple Music 2025 List first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

One wasn’t enough. It seems like the rest of the world is finally waking up to what we’ve been preaching for a couple of years now: The Red Clay Strays are one of the best groups in country music. It’s been a seemingly meteoric rise for the group from Mobile, Alabama, since releasing their debut album, Moment of Truth, in 2022. The album contained their smash hit, “Wondering Why,” which has since gone viral on TikTok, and the very next year the band found themselves opening for Eric Church on his Outsiders Revival Tour. The group has exploded up the ranks in the alt. country scene, and for good reason. Between frontman Brandon Coleman’s killer vocals, the flawless blend of country and southern rock influences and the sheer musical talent present from each of the five members, the Alabama band has proven themselves as one of the best in the business over the past three years. If you talk to the guys, you’ll realize quickly why they’re so special: They’re a group of normal dudes who just love making music together. It’s been a well-deserved breakout year for the band. Over the summer they made their headlining debut at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, performing three sold-out shows in Morrison, Colorado, and just announced a headlining show at Madison Square Garden, a bucket list venue for any artist. Then a couple of weeks ago, the band had their mainstream breakout moment when they won Vocal Group of the Year at the 2025 CMA Awards while turning heads with a killer performance of their latest single, “People Hatin’.” It’s safe to say the Red Clay Strays will be one of the hottest tickets in country music in 2025. In fact, the CMA Awards won’t be the only time they’ll be at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville next year, because the band recently announced a headlining show at Bridgestone on October 22, 2026, joined by special guests Sierra Ferrell and Brent Cobb. The show was announced last month, and tickets went quick. So quick, in fact, that they’re adding another date. This morning, the Red Clay Strays announced that they’ll be playing a SECOND night at Bridgestone, on October 23rd, 2026. They’ll once again be joined by Brent Cobb and Sierra Ferrell, and tickets go on sale here Wednesday, December 4 at 10 AM central. We already know that the band also has new music on the way in 2026, after Joe Rogan accidentally let it slip on his podcast while speaking to the the guys on a recent episode. They said at the time that they’re hoping it will be released next summer, so if that happens, folks at Bridgestone will likely have one of the first opportunities to hear the new music live. We’ve already seen that the sky’s the limit for the Red Clay Strays. It’s been fun to see them take off and become household names like they have, mainly because they deserve it in every way possible. If you weren’t able to get tickets to the first Bridgestone show, you’re not going to want to miss out on the second night.The post Red Clay Strays Announce Second Show At Bridgestone Arena In Nashville After Overwhelming Demand first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Joel Schoepf, who worked as Parker McCollum's assistant road manager, was arrested earlier this month and charged with online solicitation of a minor under 14. Continue reading…