A rare performance from the great Alan Jackson. These days, Alan Jackson is all but retired from touring. He capped off his Last Call: One More For the Road Tour last year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and while I had tickets to see that show, I was sick as a dog and had to miss it. It was devastating… However, he later announced that he would be performing one final concert this coming June. The massive event will take place at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday, June 27, 2026, and officially mark the end of his legendary touring career. The star-studded concert will feature a ton of special guests, including Eric Church, Luke Combs, Luke Bryan, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and many, many more. And it’s safe to say it’s the hottest concert ticket of the year, by a large margin. So hot, that people were paying other people to wait in line to get tickets for them… can you imagine standing in line for hours for a concert you’re not even going to? I guess if the money is good enough… All that to say… an Alan Jackson performance is an extremely rare occurrence these days, and that’s why the annual National Memorial Day Concert was such a special event this Memorial Day Weekend. Held annually on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., the concert is dedicated to honoring the military service members, veterans, and their families who have sacrificed for the country. The event is traditionally broadcast live on PBS on the Sunday evening before Memorial Day, and this past weekend featured performances from the aforementioned GOAT, Alan Jackson, as well as Jamey Johnson, Mickey Guyton, Andy Grammer, Mary McCormack and more. Alan delivered a captivating performance of “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning),” the post-9/11 anthem that garnered him multiple awards. The song would go on to win Song of the Year and Single of the Year at both the CMA Awards and the ACM Awards in 2002, and it would also land Alan a Grammy Award for Best Country Song. Beyond the awards though, the song was able to offer some kind of healing at a time when the country was still in shock and trying to make sense of such a horrific tragedy. With Memorial Day being a time to remember those who paid the ultimate price so we can live in freedom in this incredible country, hopefully it can bring some healing to all the families missing their loved ones right now. Alan sounds just as good as he ever has. Behind The Song On October 28, 2001, just a little over the week before Alan was scheduled to perform his current single “Where I Come From” on the CMA Awards, Alan had woken up in the middle of the night with an idea for a song. He got out of bed, and sang the chorus into a handheld recorder – while he was still in his underwear – so he wouldn’t forget it: “I’m just a singer of simple songs I’m not a real political man I watch CNN but I’m not sure I could tell you The difference in Iraq and Iran…” He stayed home the next day and finished the song, but he had no plans or desire to record it. Speaking on the song, Alan said he wanted to try to put into words how he was feeling as he saw the second plane hit: “I didn’t want to write a patriotic song. And I didn’t want it to be vengeful, either. But I didn’t want to forget about how I felt and how I knew other people felt that day.” And he was initially hesitant to record it, because he didn’t want it to seem like he was capitalizing on the tragedy. But when he played the song for his record label, they told him he had to record it. According to RCA chair Joe Galante: “We just kind of looked at one another. Nobody spoke for a full minute.” And Jackson reluctantly agreed, realizing it was a song that the world needed to hear at a painful time. “I’m glad that people like it, but I’m a little nervous about the attention. I think it was Hank Williams who said, ‘God writes the songs, I just hold the pen.’ That’s the way I felt with this song.” When the time came for his CMA Awards performance, Alan took the stage, seated in front of a full orchestra, and delivered the first-ever performance of “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)” in front of a grieving country. “Where were you when the world stopped turning That September day? Teaching a class full of innocent children Or driving down some cold interstate? Did you feel guilty cause you’re a survivor? In a crowded room did you feel alone? Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her? Did you dust off that Bible at home?” The response was immediate – and overwhelming. Alan got a standing ovation from the crowd at the CMA Awards, and the next day radio stations had pulled the live performance from the television broadcast to play on the air. With the sudden overwhelming demand for the song, his label rush released the studio version of the song and sent it out on November 26, 2001. They even pushed up the release date for his upcoming album, Drive, from May of 2002 to January, to get the song out sooner. Reflection In recent years, Alan reflected back on his CMA Awards performance of the song, admitting that it was a tough performance for him: “I just remember — other than being relieved that I got through it — that I just felt very proud that it seemed to cause a reaction in people. I was proud that I got to do it, and that it seemed like it meant something.” And he also admits that he was a little uncomfortable with the spotlight that was put on him for that song: “I’m not really big on chasing that spotlight, and it just put a lot of tension on me for a while and made me feel like it was hard to follow. It’s like they put you up on a pedestal, and I kept saying, ‘Look, I’m just a songwriter. I’m just a singer. It’s just a simple song. I’m not trying to get up on my soapbox. I’m just an old country guy who writes and sings songs.’” Though he never expected it to become the hit that it did, that CMA Award performance turned into a powerful moment of healing for a nation that was hurting: “That CMAs performance made me very proud, but I thought it would probably go away in a couple of years and I wouldn’t be playing it on the road anymore. But now after all these years, it’s kind of just evolved… in what the song is about, anyway. It’s all about faith, hope, and love… not just about 9/11.” Not just 9/11, indeed… Happy Memorial Day weekend. Remember: Freedom isn’t free.The post Alan Jackson Delivers a Rare, Emotional Performance at National Memorial Day Concert first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Just your typical maid of honor duties when your maid of honor is Megan Moroney. This past weekend, Megan stood by her bestie’s side as Natalie King, who is an influencer and has been friends with Megan since college, married her now-husband Alex Harp in Turks and Caicos at a stunning oceanfront estate. Megan met Natalie when the two were freshman in college and rushing Kappa Delta sorority at the University of Georgia. They became fast friends after meeting, and have been best friends ever since. As many of Meg’s fans know, she wrote her song “Wonder” for Natalie. It was her first official single, released in 2021, and it got a solid amount of buzz on social media, ultimately leading Megan to her release her first studio EP, Pistol Made of Roses. She has spoken before about how watching Natalie struggle through a very bad relationship gave her the idea for “Wonder,” which finds her encouraging her friend to  hold out for someone who knows her worth and treats her the way she deserves to be treated, and doesn’t leave her constantly sad and heartbroken all the time: “It’s 3 AM You’re up, phone by your pillow again But you play it cool under cold sheets Even though that he said he’d Let you know when he got home Where’s he at? Girl, you don’t know You’re scared he’ll think that you’re crazy So you drown in the what-ifs and maybes Maybe, baby, he ain’t the one And maybe, baby, you need someone That’s gonna say a place and time And then show up a little early Gonna give you all his heart A little more when you’re feelin’ lonely You won’t have to ask him if he loves you The right one’ll come along and show you It ain’t always gotta be lightnin’ and thunder He won’t make you wonder” It’s a beautiful song, and I’m sure it was a very full-circle moment for her to sing it for Natalie at her wedding reception after getting married to someone Megan clearly loves for her friend too, as she changed the lyrics at the reception, saying: “He don’t make Nat wonder, she shouldn’t have to wonder” Of course very fitting for the new bride and groom, and Megan had her silver sparkly guitar on-hand to serenade the newlyweds at their reception, which you can see in the short clip below: @neverherebby Wonder at Natalie wedding #meganmoroney #moroneyhq #fyp ♬ original sound – Youdontknowme It looked like a stunning affair, as Natalie shared some photos and videos from the venue that are just breathtaking: View this post on Instagram I mean, it’s a dream… View this post on Instagram “Wonder” The original studio cut: The post Watch Megan Moroney Perform “Wonder” At Her Best Friend’s Wedding first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Some good news for Charley Crockett fans out there. There’s been some surprise drops and some just as surprising disappearing acts from the country crooner as of late. Though it’s a shame that his documentary A Cowboy In London is no longer available on YouTube, it was Crockett’s album Clovis appearing and then going away that has caused the most trouble. It’s not out of the norm for Charley Crockett to drop an album out of nowhere (he’s one of the most prolific writers in the industry). It was just that, three weeks before he released Clovis, Crockett had released his highly anticipated Age of the Ram. It’s become clear since then that he followed that up with Clovis because he was ready to announce that he was an independent artist once more. While it was available (more on that in a second), I wrote something up saying it could be the most important project of Charley’s career. It was May 6 when Clovis started to go dark on streaming services, which means the 14-track album was only available to fans for around a week. As of May 25, it’s still no longer available, and Crockett hasn’t provided any concrete updates about when it could return. One could assume that there’s some sort of legal tie up with Island Records in regards to Clovis being released so close to Age of the Ram (especially since Crockett used the song “I Fought The Law” to update his fans in a now deleted Instagram post). The best update that we’ve gotten is actually from Shooter Jennings, the respected producer and son of Waylon Jennings. He and Crockett have been collaborating a lot lately, and Clovis was yet another album that they worked on together. So how did Shooter get around to breaking news about the currently unavailable Crockett project? Jennings took to X recently and put a question out to his followers asking: “What are you listening to right now? This is my second post of this nature, but I am listening to: ‘Really’ from the Super Sessions album featuring Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper.” What are you listening to right now? This is my second post of this nature but I am listening to: “Really” from the Super Sessions album featuring Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper — Shooter Jennings (@shooterjennings) May 25, 2026 Diving into a hit from the late 1960s? That’s just what you’d expect out of Shooter. Plenty of social media users interacted with the post, but there was one that decided to use the opportunity to try and get some information about Charley Crockett’s latest album. Kro (Kyle) answered Jennings’ question by telling him what he wasn’t listening to: “I tell you what I’m not listening to right now. A little album called ‘Clovis’ and I’m not happy about it to be honest.” I tell you what I’m not listening to right now. A little album called “Clovis” and I’m not happy about it tbh. — Kro (Kyle) MWRU (@TheKro16) May 25, 2026 As you can see, fans don’t do well with having music released to them and then having it ripped away. Shooter Jennings saw that reply and didn’t take too long to get back with the fan. In his response, he shared that Clovis is for sure coming back, and that when it does, it’ll return with physical media: “It is coming back! With physical!” It is coming back! With physical! — Shooter Jennings (@shooterjennings) May 25, 2026 Now does that mean it’s coming back to streaming along with physical media? Or is Shooter saying the way it’s returning is through physical media? That’s the part where things are a little fuzzy… but the good news is that it is coming back. It’s not going to be a project that’s lost forever. Though we don’t know an exact date for the return of Clovis, Jennings seems optimistic that it will be soon. And with a physical release… fans can buy that record/CD/cassette and no one can ever take it away from them. That’s great news, and I think the social media user that encouraged Shooter Jennings to provide an update said it best with his last reply to the producer: “You’re my favorite person right now. Have a good night.” You’re my favorite person right now. Have a good night. — Kro (Kyle) MWRU (@TheKro16) May 25, 2026 The post Shooter Jennings Says Charley Crockett’s Mysterious ‘Clovis’ Album Is Coming Back first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Undergoing major changes in life is difficult, even if they’re welcomed ones. A new husband and father, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Ben Chapman seems to be doing just fine in that regard, clearly grateful for his growing family. In his new album Feet On Fire, though, Chapman sheds light on the aspects of such a change that aren’t quite as obvious. The project exists as an internal dialogue that acknowledges the beauty of love and building a family through songs like “Baby Blue,” yet grapples with a lingering restlessness tied to the life of a musician on the move. As a result, he impressively captures a strange tension between settling down and still feeling like you’re in motion—something Chapman leans into heavily in the title track “Feet On Fire,” as well as “Everything’s Different,” where restlessness and emotional contradiction run rampant. An introspective call to appreciate the present in a world and industry that constantly pushes you to think about what’s next, the lyrics function almost as a diary for Chapman as he navigates this new chapter in his life and considers the contradictory emotions that come with the territory. Collaborating with a strong list of co-writers like his wife Meg McRee and producer Anderson East, to name a couple, Chapman brings these sentiments to life through imagery-filled lyricism and clever metaphors. And while each song on its own may not be clearly tied to the next, the context surrounding this album makes for a cohesive tracklist. Largely set in the present tense with anecdotal references to past experiences sprinkled throughout, the 12-track project weaves seamlessly through restless reflections and heartfelt love songs like “You Say Jump” and “Takes a Dreamer,” balancing moments of lighthearted romance with the uneasiness brought about by uncertainty and change. That said, a few more whimsical tracks like “All Day,” “Out in the Country,” and “Lucy” lighten the mood at times and shine a light on an aspect of Chapman’s music that is equally as important as his top-tier songwriting: his one-of-a-kind sound. Landing sonically in a sweet spot somewhere between Marcus King, Daniel Donato, Jason Isbell, and Brent Cobb, Chapman is carving out a lane with a blistering, guitar-driven blend of country, blues, funk, and jam-heavy rock & roll. These traits are apparent throughout his catalog, and Feet On Fire is no exception. In fact, this album finds Chapman at what may be his peak, both sonically and lyrically, and positions itself as a potential breakthrough moment in his career. I could sit here and ramble on and on about it, but the proof is in the music. Here’s a few early favorites: “Out in the Country” “Takes a Dreamer” “Lucy” “Sweetheart (Ain’t It Hard)” Just a killer record in all aspects. If you like what you heard, you need to get out and here Ben Chapman and his band live. Check out their tour dates below: 2026 Tour Dates May 22 – Maryville, TN – The Shed May 27 – Birmingham, AL – Canteen May 28 – Mobile, AL – Soul Kitchen May 29 – Macon, GA – Grant’s Lounge May 30 – Bluffton, SC – Palmetto Bluff May 31 – Columbia, SC – Songbird Festival 2026 * June 3 – Nashville, TN – Peach Jam @ The Basement East June 5 – Buchanan, TN – Breakers Marina June 6 – Chattanooga, TN – Barrelhouse Ballroom June 18 – Seymour, IN – Seymour City Jam * June 25 – Layton, UT – Edward Kenley Amphitheatre % June 26 – Castle Rock, CO – Philip Miller Amphitheatre July 9 – Clinton, WI – Boxcars Pub & Grub July 10 – Lake Orion, MI – 20 Front Street July 11 – Cadillac, MI – Coyote Crossings July 24 – Folsom, CA – Folsom Saloon July 25 – San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar July 30 – Boise, ID – Shrine Social Club July 31 – Tacoma, WA – Steel Creek August 1 & 2 – Happy Valley, OR – Pickathon 2026 * August 5 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall August 6 – Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge August 7 – Hobart, IN – The Hobart Art Theater August 8 – Bartlett, IL – Smoke & Irons Music Fest * August 14 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern August 15 – Hamilton, OH – RiversEdge Amphitheatre September 2 – Nashville, TN – Peach Jam @ The Basement East September 25 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon And Beyond * September 26 – St. Louis, MO – Duck Room September 30 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street October 1 – Davenport, IA – Raccoon Motel October 2 – Appleton, WI – Appleton Music Hall October 10 – Whitleyville, TN – North Springs Music Festival * October 11 – Decatur, AL – Princess Theatre October 12 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room December 9 – Nashville, TN – Peach Jam @ The Basement East * – Festival ^ – supporting Blackberry Smoke % – supporting The Marshall Tucker BandThe post Ben Chapman Finds Perspective In Change With Sonically Charged New Record ‘Feet On Fire’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.