It seems unfathomable… In many ways, Eric Church is a bit of an enigma in country music. Oftentimes, he strays away from what many would consider to be classic hallmarks of the genre, including but not limited to rare uses of fiddle in many of his songs and the outright refusal to use steel guitar on many of his songs post Sinners Like Me. Despite this constant urge to push the limits and reinvent his sound, Church has remained not only one of the best artists in the genre over the two decades but also one of the most important, influencing megastars like Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs as well as alternative country standouts such as Carter Faith, Charles Wesley Godwin, Colby Acuff and more. When you actually take a look at his career accolades, it’s not quite as robust as you might think. Sure, he finally won his long-awaited CMA Entertainer of the Year Award in 2020, along with a double-up Album of the Year win at the ACMs and CMAs for Chief years before. With that being said, however, he’s never been an awards show darling like Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson or Miranda Lambert. Looking at his overall career chart-wise, it’s even more shocking. Despite being recognized as one of the best and most influential country artists of the 21st century, the “Springsteen” singer only has seven solo #1 hits (11 if you count collaborations) on both of Billboard’s country charts (Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay). The most recent of his chart-toppers, “Hell of a View,” went #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay charts five years ago today, on May 29, 2021, a steady 29 weeks after it was initially released on October 20th. You heard that right; it’s been 1,826 days, the entirety of the Biden administration and an entire year of Trump’s second term in office since Church last secured a #1 hit. While, of course, you can chalk most of it up to him not playing the radio game, focusing on albums over singles and generally doing whatever he wants artistically, it still feels quite shocking that he hasn’t topped the charts in this long. Hell, someone could have finished their entire college degree (potentially with a master’s) during that time span. It should be noted that the Chief has scored one since then, snagging a #1 with Billboard’s Artist of the Year, Morgan Wallen, in April 2024 with “Man Made a Bar.” With that being said, however, it still feels unfathomable that it’s been that long. Taking a look at his singles output, it’s actually been quite low. Since “Hell of a View” went #1 back in 2021, Church released “Doing Life With Me,” a bit of an odd choice, all things considered, given that it wasn’t exactly a radio-friendly track and appeared on the second, smaller installment of the Heart & Soul project, &. Though it was certified gold by the RIAA in November 2024, it only peaked at #34 on Country Airplay and never even charted on Hot Country Songs. The head-scratcher, in my opinion, is the lack of love received from his most recent single, “Hands of Time.” As we know at this point, 2025’s Evangeline vs. the Machine was hardly looking to make waves on the radio or in a commercial sense in general, opting for an incredibly experimental, cinematic approach to its construction. With that being said, “Hands of Time” was the one track that was primed to be a hit, being incredibly infectious, nostalgic and ultimately, a tried and true Chief song. Despite having #1 hit written all over it, “Hands of Time” never received much love. As of today, it only peaked at #14 and #20, respectively, on Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs. Since “Hands of Time’s” release as a single last May, we still have not received a second single from Evangeline vs. the Machine, and it will most likely stay that way due to the aforementioned structure of that album. As previously mentioned, it shouldn’t come as the biggest surprise in the world, given that Church has always made a name for himself going against nearly every convention in Nashville, not playing the radio game and curating a batch of hits among fans that never received much attention nationwide. It still begs the question, “When are we going to see the Chief rise to the top of the charts again?” I think I speak for everyone when I say I hope it comes sooner rather than later. “Hell of a View” The post How Has It Been 5 Years Since Eric Church Scored His Last Solo #1 Hit? first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

An olive branch, but it make it bags of M&Ms… I like his strategy. Last weekend, Kyle Busch’s family was at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, which was their first public appearance since the NASCAR legend suddenly passed away last Thursday at the age of 41 from complications from sepsis. He was a legendary driver, one of the best to ever do it, and it’s still hard to believe it’s real. Kyle’s wife, Samantha, and his children put on a very brave face at the 600, along with the rest of Kyle’s family, and I truly cannot imagine what they’re going through. It’s simply devastating. While tons of stories have been pouring in from friends and fellow drivers, and of course, one of his longtime rivals, who eventually became his friend, is Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR fans know that Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were rivals back in the day when they were both still full-time Cup Series drivers, and their animosity really stemmed from the infamous 2008 race at Richmond. They were battling for the lead during the last laps, and Busch spun Dale Jr. out during his first year at Hendrick Motorsports. He was literally on track to end a two-year winless streak, so obviously, he was really upset about it, and later that year during the fall race at Richmond, Jr. returned the favor and spun Busch out. Busch has made comments about him over the years, and in terms of fan perception back then, they definitely contrasted each other and remained rivals for many years. Eventually, after Jr. retired, they seemed to reconcile and even become friendly, and Jr. had Busch on his podcast a while back and they hashed it out. Jr. shared a beautiful tribute to Kyle the day he passed, and this week on Dale’s Bless Your ‘Hardt podcast with his wife Amy, they recalled a great story abut Kyle that Dale says was the “very beginning” of them “starting to be friendly.” Amy says it was during Daytona 500 week (though she couldn’t remember exactly what year, but it was when Kyle was running the M&Ms car), and Dale was NOT in a good mood. They didn’t expect many visitors because of that, but when they heard a knock on their bus door, they certainly weren’t expecting Kyle Busch. Amy could see it was him from the window, and given his history with her husband, she told Dale he needed to answer it. To their surprise, he came bearing gifts, bags and bags of M&Ms, and he was there to wish them a “Happy Valentine’s Day,” which Amy says she heard him say very loudly to Dale when he opened the door: “It was Daytona 500 week, and I don’t know what year this was. He was running the M&Ms car. We’re in the bus, and so we don’t have a lot of knocks on the door… he’s in a s***** a** mood. We get a knock on the door, and there’s a little window above the door, and so he’s sitting on the couch and I’m messing around, and so I look out. I’m like, it’s Kyle Busch, uh oh. And so I’m like, ‘Dale it’s Kyle Busch.’ And he goes, ‘No s***?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s Kyle. I’m not answering it. You better get over here.’ He comes up off the couch and peaks out the door, and he just kind of props it open a little bit, and is like, ‘Hey man, what’s up?’ And I could hear him audibly say very loudly, ‘Happy Valentine’s Day!’ And he’s got bags of the M&Ms to share. And both of us were kind of like, really? You brought candy? There’s pink, there’s red, there’s all kinds of flavors here. He gave him like four or five bags of candy. He was smiling, he was happy. It was like a version of Kyle I had never seen before, either.” Dale joked that he asked Kyle if they were “safe to eat” given their checkered past (pun very much intended) up to that point: “I joked with him when he handed them to me, I said, ‘Are these safe to eat?'” Amy says it was “really nice” to see Kyle that way, as opposed to her husband’s fierce rival on the track, and she says from that point on, they both looked at him very differently: “It was really nice to see Kyle in that moment. And then from then on, I feel like both of us kind of looked at him in a different way.” Dale acknowledged: “It was the very beginning of us sort of starting to be friendly.” And like many of us, Amy says she will always think of him when she sees a bag of M&Ms: “I feel like I’ll always think of him too now when I see a bag of M&Ms.” For many years, Kyle and M&Ms were synonymous, and I always thought he had one of the best sponsors of anyone in NASCAR. Like Jr. said in his aforementioned tribute post, it was Kyle who first reached out to mend the fences with him, so to speak, and while he was very happy to do so, he gave credit to Kyle to being the first one to reach out, and it sounds like it all started with some M&Ms, which is a great way to do it in my humble opinion. It’s a great story that gives a peak into a side of Kyle I think many fans never got to see, at least not on the track: View this post on Instagram The full podcast is available below. The post “A Version Of Kyle I Had Never Seen Before” — Amy Earnhardt Recalls Kyle Busch Showing Up To Dale Jr.’s Bus With Bags Of M&Ms For Valentine’s Day first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Night one of the Music City Rodeo set the bar quite high. Fans poured into Bridgestone Arena from Broadway to watch some of the best in the world compete in the first day of the three day event put on by the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA). It’s the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi and the largest in the entire Southeastern Circuit. Oh, and it’s also important to note that the 2026 Music City Rodeo has been designated as an official Cinch Playoff Series Rodeo. What does that mean? Well, that designation brings in the top rodeo stars like Rocker Steiner, Stetson Wright, Hailey Kinzel, and over 30 other World Champions. And saddle bronc rider Kade Bruno got off to a great start last night with his first ride of the rodeo: View this post on Instagram That’s one heck of a ride right there. After a full night packed with roping, riding and mutton busting (probably my personal favorite event of the night), the dirt that was laid down turned into a pit, and country music icon Miranda Lambert took the stage. Rodeo fans stuck around to take in the performance from the 3-time Grammy award winner, and the “Bluebird” singer had plenty of wildcards up her sleeve. Lambert treated the Music City Rodeo crowd to a rendition of “Choosin’ Texas,” brought Little Big Town out to share the stage for a couple of songs (when in Nashville, eh?), and even hit everyone with her newest track that mixes country and disco. Something about hearing “Crisco” at the rodeo just felt right: View this post on Instagram Throughout the night, it was abundantly clear how much of a match rodeo and country music are. When we sat down with rodeo stars Kade Bruno and Rocker Steiner earlier this year, they both said that Music City Rodeo acts as the perfect crossroads. As Rocker Steiner described, the sport and the genre have shared the same thread throughout the years: “You’ve got to think, for the last however many decades, country music has been written about rodeoing. Look at ‘July in Cheyenne’ by Aaron Watson, ‘I Can Still Make Cheyenne’ and ‘Amarillo By Morning’ by George Strait. A lot of country songs are written around rodeo. Really, we live the same lifestyle. We really kind of have the same attitudes… if you love country music, rodeo really is a part of you.” And Kade Bruno had much of the same to say. The saddle bronc rider stated that there’s a lot of overlap when it comes to the fanbases of the rodeo and country music. In his mind, and in the mind of many other rodeo stars, if you like one, there’s a great chance you like the other: “We go hand in hand. 90% of our fans are also country music fans, and vice versa. If you are a rodeo fan through and through, you are probably listening to country music.” @whiskeyriff @Rocker Steiner @kadebrunoooo @musiccityrodeo #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff And there’s still two nights to go of the Music City Rodeo. Charley Crockett (May 29) and Jon Pardi (May 30) will both put on headlining shows in the next couple of days, and the world’s best rodeo stars will also be in action. Simply put… the cowboys have taken over Broadway and Bridgestone Arena. You can hear Rocker and Kade talk more about the event in our full interview below. Check it out on YouTube or make sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Audio Video The post Miranda Lambert Brought Country & Disco Together At Night One Of Nashville’s Music City Rodeo first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

She was maybe even worse off financially than ever. Continue reading…

Is there anybody left? The Great American State Fair is turning into a Great American Disaster after yet another artist has backed out of performing, the fifth (and possibly sixth?) artist to announce that they wouldn’t be participating after the lineup was announced earlier this week. The fair is part of the celebrations being planned by Freedom 250, which is a non-partisan organization responsible for putting together all the festivities to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Freedom 250 was launched by President Donald Trump to spearhead his specific vision for the 250th anniversary events, so as with anything Trump is involved in, many are questioning whether or not the entity itself is truly “non-partisan,” which has led several artists to drop out of performing at the Great American State Fair. The event is an exposition bringing together all 50 states for a World’s Fair-style celebration featuring live entertainment, exhibits, patriotic tributes, innovation showcases, cultural programming, and other attractions from around the country, which will be hosted in Washington, D.C. from June 25 through July 10 on the National Mall. And earlier this week Freedom 250 announced the first round of headliners who would be performing at the celebration, including Martina McBride, C+C Music Factory, The Commodores, Vanilla Ice, Young MC, Morris Day and The Time, Flo Rida, Bret Michaels, and Milli Vanilli. Now, was it a great lineup to begin with? Not at all. The most recent top 10 hit from any of the artists was “My House” from Flo Rida back in 2015, so they didn’t exactly get any of today’s hottest acts. But immediately after the lineup was announced, the artists began pulling out, starting with Morris Day and The Time and Young MC. Then yesterday The Commodores announced they also wouldn’t be performing, and Milli Vanilli released a statement saying that none of their original members would be playing the event (although one of them died in 1998, and the group that’s best known for their lip-syncing scandal was actually made up of several singers who recorded the vocals while the two frontmen eventually released an album under their own names). So who will be performing as “Milli Vanilli?” Who knows. And last night, following online backlash Martina McBride released a statement last night announcing that she too was backing out of the event: “I would like to talk to you and clear the air. I will not be performing at the Great American State Fair on June 25th. I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading. I asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states and also bring people together in a way that only music can. I saw it as just a bigger version of so many state fairs I have performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special. Sounds fun, right? Wholesome even. Yesterday, things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening. I’ve spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be a voice for those who have felt like they didn’t have one. It greatly upsets me that any fan who has been moved by my music may now feel like I’m abandoning the meaning behind those songs. I assure you, that is not the case. I appreciate every single fan who has reached out. I hope to get back to the DC area very soon.” Not great. Just when it seemed the bleeding had stopped though, Bret Michaels announced today that he too would not be performing at the Great American State Fair. Like the others, the Poison frontman claims that he was misled about the event and cited threats to himself and his band as a result of his involvement: “When this opportunity was originally presented to my team, it was described as a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life. As the son of a veteran, and coming from a family that has proudly served, that is something I have always been honored to support. As many of you know, I’ve spent my entire career bringing people together through music, positivity and good vibes. My shows have never been about politics. They’re about giving people a place to come together, have a great time and forget about life’s stresses for a few hours. Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of. Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable. Because of that, I have made the difficult decision to step away from this performance.” View this post on Instagram At this point the only performers left are Vanilla Ice, C+C Music Factory, Flo Rida, and whoever may or may not be performing as Milli Vanilli. Seems like the committee needs to go back to the drawing board to try to salvage this thing.The post Poison Frontman Bret Michaels Becomes The Latest Artist To Back Out Of Performing At The Great American State Fair first appeared on Whiskey Riff.