Country Roundup
Country Roundup

Country Roundup

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Two-Hour Documentary Focused On Johnny Cash’s 1981 Jamaican Estate Robbery In Development
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Two-Hour Documentary Focused On Johnny Cash’s 1981 Jamaican Estate Robbery In Development

A Christmas dinner that the Cash family never forgot is now getting the documentary treatment. A&E recently announced the order of “Johnny Cash: The Man Comes Around,” which is set to be a two-hour documentary that, as of right now, is eyeing a 2027 release. Deadline reports that the new project “will examine the country star through his connection to the island of Jamaica” and “will investigate the 1981 Christmas Day home invasion during which the Cash family was held hostage by masked gunmen at their home in Cinnamon Hill.” It should be a very interesting deep dive. Of course, we already know the story of the Christmas robbery in Jamaica. Three masked men – armed with an axe, a knife and a gun – broke into Cash’s vacation home right as the family was sitting down for Christmas dinner. Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash and their son John Carter Cash (who was 11 at the time) were all there in the home that the country icon had purchased in 1972, and the Cash family even had some friends visiting them for the holidays as well. Cash’s Jamaica escape quickly turned into a nightmare that evening, and it’s not like the three men who broke in had any trouble doing so. The Jamaican home’s doors were unlocked, and Cash didn’t have any private security on site either. The three men simply walked right in, stole $35,000 worth of items, and then walked out. No one was harmed during the robbery (at least physically), and before the burglars left, they forced everyone that was there into the basement of the home… and apparently slid them some of the Christmas turkey the family had prepared (that’s my favorite detail of the story). The three men were caught not too long after the incident, and the Jamaican Prime Minister at the time was so upset that Cash and his family were bothered, he positioned 24-hour security at the house from that point on. He was worried that Cash would leave the island to never return, and that it would hurt the country’s tourism. I’m sure all of that and more will be explored in the documentary that A&E currently has in development. As far as how A&E will tell the story, they claim that it’ll be told by Johnny Cash himself through never-before-heard recordings paired with home video, photos that haven’t been seen by many, and interviews. John Carter Cash, who was there when the Jamaican vacation home was robbed, will be interviewed. Additionally, family members Rosanne Cash and Carlene Cash and collaborators Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle and Will Oldham will also be a part of the documentary. A&E’s EVP and Head of Programming, Elaine Frontain Bryant, says that the Johnny Cash project – along with two other true crime documentaries they are putting out around the same time – should tell the story in a way that it never has been before: “These projects exemplify A&E’s continued commitment to powerful, character-driven storytelling that goes beyond the headlines to offer deeper context and new perspectives. Whether it’s reexamining a case that continues to provoke debate, offering unprecedented access to a legendary crime family through the voices of the next generation, or exploring an iconic artist’s life through a moment that revealed his faith, empathy, and moral compass, each project invites viewers to see familiar stories in deeper ways.” And tying Johnny Cash’s faith into the story makes more sense for the title of the documentary. “Johnny Cash: The Man Comes Around” named after one of Cash’s Biblical-focused songs of the same name. In it, the country star makes a lot of references to the Book of Revelation… and speaks about the return of Jesus Christ. No doubt Johnny Cash was saying some prayers during that home robbery in Jamaica. “The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash The post Two-Hour Documentary Focused On Johnny Cash’s 1981 Jamaican Estate Robbery In Development first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

“It’s Just The Harsh Reality”: Luke Combs Says He Was At A Disadvantage Early In His Career Because He “Wasn’t Hot”
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“It’s Just The Harsh Reality”: Luke Combs Says He Was At A Disadvantage Early In His Career Because He “Wasn’t Hot”

He’s being way too hard on himself, but still, it is really funny… today, Luke Combs appeared on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, where he spoke with co-hosts Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, and he gave a hilarious explanation about why he felt he was at a “disadvantage” because of his looks. Of course, when he first came onto the scene with his debut single “Hurricane,” in 2016, it didn’t take long for it to top the charts, and it went #1 one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in May 2017. But for years before that, artists like Florida Georgia Line and Sam Hunt were dominating the country charts, and Luke explained that didn’t think he really had a chance because he didn’t look like them in terms of being tall and perfectly in shape. He said that he knew no one in the marketing department would pluck him from obscurity just by seeing a photo of him, and he’s right in that it’s always about the formula that works with mainstream music, because the music business is a business, and I think it was more about the fact that his music didn’t fit that (bad) mold, which ultimately worked out better for him in the long run, obviously. But still, Luke’s explanation is hilarious: “I always knew that the only way I’m going to get anybody to be interested in my music at all is to get in front of them. Like, no one is going to look at a picture of me and go, this guy’s a star. We’ve gotta get this guy up here.’ I just knew that, it’s just the harsh reality of my life at that time. And really, my life now still. I mean, the people that are crushing at that time are Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt, Chase Rice, those dudes are hot, bro. Like, they’re hot. I am not hot. I’m not tall, I’m not in shape. You know, they have great stories, and they’re good looking, and they’re charismatic… and so I’m like, man, I’ve got nothing these guys. Nobody in town was interested in signing a guy like me. Because it’s like, the thing that’s working ain’t this guy.” They then pulled up a photo of Riley Green, and Luke joked that “no one thinks of me in that vein,” but I feel like that’s just an unfair comparison for anyone: “I mean, look at this guy. This guy is beautiful, dude. Look at this guy. He’s beautiful. He’s incredibly talented guy, like, nobody thinks of me in that vein. But there’s a lot of those guys… there’s no pictures of me like that, there’s just not.” Luke has built an incredible career for himself but putting out great music, and he is gearing up to put out his new record The Way I Am on March 20th: Luke Combs claiming he was at a disadvantage early in his career because he “wasn’t hot” is hilarious Honesty is undefeated pic.twitter.com/G1gdsibYfs — Bussin’ With The Boys (@BussinWTB) March 10, 2026 Luke has released several songs from the 22-song tracklist thus far including “Back in the Saddle,” “My Kinda Saturday Night,” “15 Minutes,” “Days Like These,” and most recently, a stunning love song inspired by his wife Nicole, “Be By You.” The album was produced by Combs, Jonathan Singleton and Chip Matthews, and it will feature just one other artist on the song “Ever Mine,” as we get to hear Combs and Alison Krauss team up for the first time and I’m sure that will be incredible. The full podcast is available below. “Be By You” The Way I Am Tracklist “Back in the Saddle” “My Kinda Saturday Night” “Days Like These” “15 Minutes” “Alcohol of Fame” “Daytona 499” “The Way I Am” “Wish Upon Whiskey” “Soon As I Get Home” “Rethink Some Things” “Giving Her Away” “Seeing Someone” “Sleepless in a Hotel Room” “I Ain’t No Cowboy” “Ever Mine” (feat. Alison Krauss) “Can’t Tell Me I’m Wrong” “Miss You Here” “Tell ‘Em About Tonight” “Be By You” “The Me Part of You” “Rich Man” “A Man Was Born” The post “It’s Just The Harsh Reality”: Luke Combs Says He Was At A Disadvantage Early In His Career Because He “Wasn’t Hot” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Koe Wetzel Shares Stunning Acoustic Version Of His Keith Gattis Cover, “Reconsider”
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Koe Wetzel Shares Stunning Acoustic Version Of His Keith Gattis Cover, “Reconsider”

Koe Wetzel is revisiting his Keith Gattis cover from 9 Lives. While Koe Wetzel is in the thick of rolling out his next era of music, he’s not forgetting about songs from his past. Wetzel recently revisited a cover he laid down on his last LP, 9 Lives, written by the late, great Keith Gattis, “Reconsider.” While the song was not as big a commercial hit as “High Road” or “Sweet Dreams,” it is a song that fans should pay attention to—and it’s one of the few covers that Koe Wetzel has recorded. “Reconsider” was written and recorded by Gattis and included on his 2005 Big City Blues album; Charlie Robison also recorded it and included “Reconsider” on his 2009 Beautiful Day album. You might recognize Gattis as a songwriter first, as he has written songs for the King himself, George Strait, as well as Willie Nelson, Randy Travis, Kid Rock, Miranda Lambert, Randy Houser, Kenny Chesney, and Wade Bowen, to name a few. Most recently, Gattis was inducted into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame last month as part of the 2026 class, which also included George Strait, Miranda Lambert, and Don Cook. Gattis tragically passed away in 2023 at the age of 52, and he reportedly died from injuries sustained during a tractor accident, sadly leaving behind his wife, Penny, and their two young children. In light of Gattis being inducted into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame, Wetzel is revisiting his version of the song and laid down a stunning acoustic take. Filmed on his tour bus, Wetzel lets his vocal talent shine on the stripped-down and unplugged version of the tune. Wetzel vulnerably delivers the painful lyrics of a relationship ending, as the narrator regrets some of his choices and ponders whether he could win back his former lover. “Ya know I hate myself when I’m not with you‘Cause I don’t know what I’m supposed to doTried to take a step todayBut I keep getting in my waySo take another look around me And if I tried, would you reconsider?Would you reconsider comin’ home?And if I cried, would you reconsider?Would you reconsider comin’ home?Comin’ home” While I love the studio cut of this tune, this acoustic cover might quickly become a new favorite. Koe Wetzel does not miss. Ahead of Wetzel releasing 9 Lives, Koe Wetzel took some time to chat with Whiskey Riff about the tracklist and shed some light on why he chose to record Gattis’ “Reconsider.” He explained that he was inspired to do the cover after getting into a lot of Gattis’ music in the wake of his death: “I had a buddy, I didn’t really… I didn’t know a whole lot of Keith Gattis, but I knew a lot of the songs that he had written. And then we were at the ranch one night, and one of my buddies was playing it, and I’m a huge Charlie Robison fan. With him passing away, and then hearing about how Keith Gattis passed away, and then figuring out that Charlie had cut a lot of Keith Gattis’ songs, there was just something with everything that happened all around that time.” He explained that after hearing Gattis’ original version of “Reconsider,” it “pissed [him] off” that he never got to see him in concert or really appreciate his music while he was alive. Koe says there was just something “deep down” inside telling him to cut the song. Obviously, as with most artists who cover a song of someone they respect and admire, Koe hoped that he “did it justice”: “Hearing ‘Reconsider,’ I was like, holy sh*t, you know, and it kind of pissed me off that I never got to see Keith Gattis while he was alive and really dig into him while he was around. So I just felt like, I don’t know, something inside me really wanted to cut a Keith Gattis song. ‘Reconsider’ was the one that, for some reason, deep down in me was like, you have to cut the song. So I was really excited to do that, and just hope that we did it justice.” I’d say his studio version and this new acoustic cut do the song justice. The legacy of Keith Gattis lives on. It’s only right to give Gattis’ version a spin while you’re here, too: The post Koe Wetzel Shares Stunning Acoustic Version Of His Keith Gattis Cover, “Reconsider” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

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Target Hastily Removing Popular Cereals Off Shelves: Here's Why
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Target Hastily Removing Popular Cereals Off Shelves: Here's Why

Target's latest move is making waves in the cereal aisle — some iconic brands may be disappearing. Let’s break down what this means for your breakfast table. Continue reading…