Jake Worthington is back after stepping away from music earlier this year to focus on himself and his family. Worthington is one of the few modern country artists that take pride in bringing the classic country sound to the table. The saying “out with the old and in with the new” typically applies in most areas, but not with modern country music. It’s in with the old right now, and artists like Worthington (and Zach Top) are at the forefront of that movement. The “Not Like I Used To” singer prides himself in paying tribute to the country music stars of yesteryear, but back in May, the country singer took to social media to announce that he had followed down the path of legends a little too closely. Worthington admitted that the life he had been living had gotten the best of him, and that he was stepping away from his country music career to take time to focus on himself, his wife, and his daughter: “I live a life as my heroes did, but that life gotten a hold of me. I love my family, my friends, and my fans too much to let it take over me. I need to take some time to work on myself for my wife and my daughter. I promise I will come back even better. God bless country music.” View this post on Instagram Though it was sad to see the talented Jake Worthington walk away, everyone was happy to see him prioritize himself over his career to get the help he needs. It’s no secret that tour life can take a toll on you in more ways than one. Whether it’s your physical health, your mental health, or you’re just having a little too much fun, trying to power through it can lead to an even worse situation in the end. Good for Jake for recognizing that. The neotraditional country artist joined a number of other artists who took time out of their 2026 to focus on themselves. Chase Rice, Randall King, and Colter Wall have all made announcements to their fans this year that they needed to step away (Rice and King have since come back). Though worrisome, it’s good to see that all of them are prioritizing their health. And it’s great to see that Worthington got everything straightened away to feel comfortable enough to get back on the road. Just hours ago, the country singer shared a photo (and a video of him sitting at an airport) with a message thanking everyone for the patience and understanding. He also made it known that he was getting back on the road, and that it was a “sure footed” move: “Hey y’all, just want to thank y’all for the opportunity and time given, along with all the love and support. To my family, friends, fans and work peers thank you. We’re hitting the pavement, Sure Footed.” View this post on Instagram We here at Whiskey Riff – along with all of the Jake Worthington fans out there – are happy to see that the “Hell of a Highway” singer took the time he needed to better himself. As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup, and it appears that Worthington got his cup filled back up and is ready to get back out there in front of the fans.The post Jake Worthington Is Officially Back On The Road After Taking Hiatus To Focus On Himself & His Family: “We’re Hitting The Pavement” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The legendary Nashville musician died just days after performing at a benefit concert to raise funds for his wife's health battle. Continue reading…

Addressing the rumors about Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo. In May, it was announced that Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, filed for divorce from Bunnie, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, back on May 18 in Williamson County Chancery Court, just outside of Nashville. Bunnie Xo made a ton of headlines in the wake of it all when she opened up on the pending divorce between her and her husband Jelly Roll following the news becoming public, and in her since-deleted tell-all episode of her Dumb Blonde podcast, she revealed what led to split, addressed dating rumors, revealed that Jelly was already dating, and she also explained the straw that broke the camel’s back, that led to the divorce papers being filed after a fight back on Mother’s Day. Since then, tons of rumors have been flying about what really happened between them, of course that’s really none of anyone’s business, but inevitably, accusations online of either one of them cheating have gone around, along with tons of other conspiracies. Honestly, the way people speculate about a celebrities’ personal lives is astonishing… boldly claiming various things in complete ignorance. It blows my mind. And Jelly’s 18-year-old daughter, Bailee, has had enough. On a recent TikTok live, she used some colorful language to tell fans to mind her business, and clarified neither Jelly Roll, nor Bunnie, cheated, and there is an entirely different reason for the divorce. She told people to get out of her DMs and her comments section, telling them she was “done” hearing anything about her father, adding that she “lived in it” and the internet will “f****** crumble” the day she opens her mouth about what really happened: “They’re both very open about it, and that is it. Period. It’s that f****** simple. Don’t y’all ever come for my father’s name like that again. I’m so done. At the end of the day, that’s still my daddy. So f******* watch it. I’m so done. Nobody cheated, period. Period. Get the f*** out of my DMs, out of my comments, my live with that s***. I don’t care. I don’t want to talk about it. He did not cheat, she did not cheat. Y’all have no f****** idea what happened, and wait til y’all find out. Just f****** wait. Because I promise y’all, the view of what y’all have of not only the situation, but their relationship and the internet in totality is about to f****** crumble the day that I open my mouth. It’s not a difference in f****** opinions. Nobody else lived in it, so don’t f****** even. I’m for real, so done. Good, everybody good, we’re all on the same page? Good.” There you have it… it sounds like Bailee is prepared to reveal all in due time, but we’ll see. Obviously, this is an incredibly tough situation for all involved, especially for Bailee, who was has to watch internet rumors and conspiracies slander her father. In response to a comment about podcast clickbait, she said that she wasn’t trying to drum up podcast views and that the rant came during a moment of genuine frustration: “Bro it wasn’t even intentional. I just had a lil crash out lmao.” In the mean time, her step mom, Bunnie, is getting ready to move into the massive mansion she was building with Jelly before the divorce, and he is apparently going to build on another plot of land nearby as they prepare to welcome their first child together via surrogate, which Bunnie also revealed on the aforementioned podcast. @cashmamaa19 Bailee addresses the cheating rumors about her dad #jellyroll and #bunnie #divorce #jelly #bunniexo ♬ original sound – Morgan The post “Wait ‘Til You Find Out” — Jelly Roll’s Daughter Says The Internet Will “Crumble” If She Reveals What Really Happened Between Her Dad & Bunnie Xo first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Defending a longtime friend. As we all know by now, pop superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce got married on July 3rd at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Permits filed with the city for street closures from July 2-4 revealed that the couple hosted around 1,000 guests at the event, there were tons of celebrities spotted on their way to the venue, and leaving after the festivities. The ceremony was, predictably, a giant spectacle that resulted in streets being shut down around New York City and giant crowds of Swifties forming outside of Madison Square Garden – despite the fact that they couldn’t see anything that was going on inside the arena. Other than a few leaks (like the napkins that featured a questionable Taylor Swift lyric), the details of the wedding have remained pretty locked down thanks to NDAs and strict security measures put into place by the couple and their teams. Considering Taylor’s country roots, it’s not too surprising that there were quite a few country star on-hand to help celebrate the couple, including Miranda Lambert, the members of Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, who reportedly performed at the ceremony, and Kenny Chesney, who seemingly cancelled two of his shows at the Las Vegas Sphere to attend. Despite there not being too many details actually known about the wedding — outside of the location, some of the guests and the aforementioned napkins — it didn’t stop plenty of critics online from blasting Swift and Kelce for the seemingly extravagant ceremony. With that being said, however, Brad Paisley is not having the criticism being hurled towards the “Love Story” singer. During a sitdown with the Associated Press, Paisley, who attended with his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley, would defend the ceremony, calling it one of the “least pretentious” weddings he’s ever seen. “Ironically, [it] was one of the least pretentious weddings that I’ve ever seen or ever will see. It meant a lot to be [invited]. It was kind of a big thank you from her to invite us.” Additionally, the “Whiskey Lullaby” singer would reveal the convoluted invite process, explaining that the initial invites were sent without telling guests where the wedding was being held, instead only giving the date. Because of the top-secret nature, he’d call it a “cat-and-mouse game.” “They were very clear with the invite, and I took this personally when I got the invite, because in the invite, it said, ‘If you’re getting this, you mean a lot to us.’ It was really fun to watch the cat-and-mouse game of, like, ‘We can tell you roughly where it’s going to be. We’re not gonna say what building, and here’s the date. If you’re in, we’ll tell you more.’” Of course, it’s not too surprising that Paisley attended and would further defend the megastar, given that the two go way back. If you recall, Swift opened up for the West Virginia native back in 2007 when she was only 17 years old on his Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour. In fact, she actually made a cameo appearance alongside fellow opener, Kellie Pickler, for the music video for his #1 hit, “Online,” which starred Jason Alexander from Seinfeld. Before you go, watch the music video for “Online.” The post Brad Paisley Defends Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce: “One Of The Least Pretentious Weddings I’ve Ever Seen” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Congratulations to the Walls. As one of the key members of the alternative country movement over the last decade, Colter Wall’s importance to the genre cannot be understated. Debuting in 2015 with Imaginary Appalachia, during a time when the genre as a whole was in complete shambles thanks to the popularity of bro-country, the Canadian singer/songwriter has remained one of the forefathers of today’s independent movement. Despite the popularity across the board, highlighted by massive hits such as “Sleeping on the Blacktop,” “The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie,” “Kate McCannon” and more, it seems as if Wall has never been one who enjoyed or even wanted the fame, being famous for living off the grid, ranching and generally keeping to himself in between shows and album releases. 2026, unfortunately, has been a particularly trying time for the “Caroline” singer. Back in March, he announced that he was taking an indefinite hiatus from touring, citing his declining mental health over the past few months of the tour. Just three weeks later, Wall would suffer a devastating loss with the passing of Jason Simpson, his longtime bassist and member of his backing band, The Scary Prairie Boys. Throughout the summer, it seems as if Wall has been doing well out of the spotlight, posting a few updates on social media of himself with his horses on his ranch out in Cypress Hills in southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. At the same time, however, it appears that he was quietly preparing to get married out in Saskatchewan. Over the weekend, in typical Colter Wall fashion, he ended up tying the knot with his wife, who at this time has yet to be named, in an incredibly private wedding. The revolution of Wall getting married over the weekend was brought to light by Hayden Redwine, who has frequently opened up for the Canadian singer/songwriter, in an Instagram post congratulating the couple. “Congratulations to two of my favorite people. Just doesn’t get much better. Saw some beautiful country and had a big time up here.” View this post on Instagram In addition to Redwine, the red-hot Texas singer/songwriter, Shelby Stone, and fellow Canadian, Noeline Hofmann, were also in attendance at Wall’s wedding ceremony. Hofmann would take to her Instagram story on Sunday evening to also congratulate the couple, calling it the “best celebration ever.” Additionally, Stone would comment on Redwine’s Instagram post, calling it a “grand ole time.” “Congratulations to the beautiful Mrs. and Mr. Wall. I can’t stop smiling, that was the best celebration ever.” – Noeline Hofmann “A grand ole time eh!” – Shelby Stone Outside of the fact that it was held in Saskatchewan and the likes of Redwine, Hofmann and Stone were in attendance, not much is known at this time regarding Wall’s wedding. With that being said, however, given how messy and public so many relationships have been in country music the past decade, there’s no doubt it’s for the best with the Walls, especially considering how private the “Evangelina” singer has been throughout his career.The post Country Star Colter Wall Gets Married In Saskatchewan first appeared on Whiskey Riff.