It’s official. It’s hard to believe it’s been over two years since the tragic passing of the late, great Toby Keith. As we all know, the Oklahoma native passed away on February 5, 2024, at the age of 62 after a long battle with stomach cancer. Words can hardly describe the lasting impact he’s had on not only the genre itself but all his long-time fans, members of the military and the countless number of lives touched through his philanthropy, namely the Toby Keith Foundation, which benefitted pediatric cancer patients and their families. Tributes to the Big Dog Daddy have basically gone on ever since he passed on. The University of Oklahoma implemented a Toby Keith sing-along at every one of their home football games, and more recently, the U.S. Army chorus used Toby Keith’s “American Soldier” as the song to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Army’s 250th birthday celebration. Recently, the state of Oklahoma renamed a highway in his honor as well. Because of his accomplishments both within and outside the music industry, back in April, the state of Oklahoma decided to proclaim the late artist’s birthday, July 8, as Toby Keith Day in the Sooner State. Upon its declaration, a copy of the proclamation was given to Krystal Keith, the daughter of Toby Keith. She also performed the national anthem to open up the day’s festivities. Governor Kevin Stitt made an announcement during Oklahoma Music and Film Day at the state capitol: “Born on July 8th, 1961, in Clinton, Oklahoma. He was raised in Moore and was later a resident in Norman, rising from humble beginnings to become one of the most successful, influential, and recognizable country music artists in American history… He remained deeply connected to his Oklahoma roots and proudly reflected the character, resilience, independence, and patriotism of our state through his music and through his steadfast support of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, including numerous USO tours… I now proclaim July 8, 2026, as Toby Keith Day.” View this post on Instagram Three months later, on what would have been the “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” singer’s 65th birthday, Oklahoma celebrated its first official Toby Keith Day. In turn, his official Instagram account would share the proclamation that was presented to Krystal, which highlights the huge impact he had on the state throughout his life. View this post on Instagram Governor Kevin Stitt would once again praise Keith for his illustrious music career, along with his long history of charity work and patriotism, noting that his legacy will “continue to inspire generations of Oklahomans,” and they will always be grateful for his impact on the Sooner State. “Oklahoma will always remember and celebrate the legacy of Toby Keith. Today, July 8th, we recognize Toby Keith Day in Oklahoma and honor a true Oklahoma icon whose music, patriotism, and generosity touched millions of lives. I was proud to sign a proclamation recognizing this day and celebrating the lasting impact Toby made on our state and our nation. Toby never forgot where he came from. From his Oklahoma roots to stages around the world, he represented our state with pride and carried the values we hold dear everywhere he went. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of Oklahomans, and we will always be grateful for the mark he left on the Sooner State and beyond.” A fitting honor to the late legend on what would have been his 65th birthday. Rest in peace, Toby. “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” The post Krystal Keith Receives Proclamation As Oklahoma Celebrates The First Official ‘Toby Keith Day’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, Texas is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and now music fans in the “Lone Star State” are scrambling to find out what exactly that means. Back in 2007, the Whitewater Amphitheater opened on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Across almost two decades, it’s been one of Central Texas’ most popular outdoor music venues. But in a surprising turn of events, news broke just yesterday that the venue had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy: Express News described how the situation unfolded as this: “Whitewater Amphitheater filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday as the popular New Braunfels music venue faced a scheduled foreclosure sale. Kona Coast Venture Ltd., the company that operates the venue, filed the petition at 10:26 a.m. in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Antonio. Federal bankruptcy law generally imposes an automatic stay on collection actions, though it was not immediately clear whether the foreclosure sale — scheduled for 10 a.m. — had already occurred.” View this post on Instagram That was definitely unexpected… especially for music fans out there who have already secured their tickets to upcoming shows at the Whitehouse Amphitheater (Randy Rogers Band will play there in just a few days). The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing has caused some panic, but it’s important to know exactly what that filing means. You might remember that Red Lobster did something similar back in 2024, which led to the seafood brand closing down a number of additional locations, yet allowing for them to still stay afloat financially. Obviously, Whitewater Amphitheater doesn’t have the luxury of closing down other locations. But overall, the venue could face a similar fate as it enters into bankruptcy. There’s a good chance that beloved Texas music venue will be able to come out on the other side eventually. Still, when people online hear the phrase “filing for bankruptcy,” they think it’s all she wrote. So, to clear up any confusion, the official Whitewater Amphitheater social media account put out this message. They want fans to know that filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy doesn’t mean the end… it just means going about things a bit differently. But rest assured, everything is still a go at the New Braunfels amphitheater: “Whitewater is open. The music continues. Today, Whitewater Amphitheater began a Chapter 11 restructuring process. For our fans, artists, employees and community, here’s what matters: Every scheduled concert is moving forward, Whitewater remains open for business, and our employees continue serving guests all season. This filing gives us the opportunity to protect one of Texas’ most iconic music venues while we reorganize and position Whitewater for a strong future. Since opening in 2007, Whitewater has welcomed millions of guests and helped make New Braunfels a destination for live music. We’re committed to preserving that legacy. Thank you to our fans, artists, staff, sponsors and community for your continued support. The music isn’t stopping. We’ll see you at the next show.” View this post on Instagram In other words, Whitewater Amphitheater is recognizing they need some assist and plans to reorganize their finances. All fans really want to hear is what that message above just delivered: It’s still open for business, and the venue will still host scheduled concerts coming up like Flatland Cavalry, Dwight Yoakam, Hudson Westbrook, Hardy, and Dylan Gossett and Charles Wesley Godwin.The post Popular Texas Music Venue, Whitewater Amphitheater, Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Always striking gold together. Throughout its history, country music has been home to some of the most iconic collaborations in music. From Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton scoring a genre-defining hit with “Islands in the Stream” and Johnny Cash and June Carter teaming up for “Jackson” to Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss delivering one of the most haunting songs in history with “Whiskey Lullaby” and George Strait and Alan Jackson sticking in to the Nashville machine on “Murder on Music Row,” you don’t have to look far to find show-stopping collaborations from decade-to-decade. Recently, it seems as if star-studded collaborations have simply become the norm over the past decade. Of course, you have your all-genre #1s from the likes of Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves on “I Remember Everything” and Post Malone making his grand country debut with Morgan Wallen on “I Had Some Help.” With that being said, however, we’ve also seen some other massive collabs from the likes of Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood, Ella Langley and Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton and George Strait, Zach Bryan and a plethora of artists such as Noah Kahan, Sierra Ferrell, Bruce Springsteen, The Lumineers and many more. Though there has been a seeming uptick in collaborations over the years, a majority of these high-profile collabs are simply one-offs. It’s becoming increasingly rare to see any duet projects from yesteryear, the way the likes of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton and more produced. With that being said, however, there are quite a few modern artists who have collaborated multiple times over the past decade. For this list, the criteria were simple: the two solo artists had to release at least two songs over the past decade. Without further ado, let’s dive into five of the best modern duet partners in country music right now. 1. Ella Langley & Riley Green For all intents and purposes, Ella Langley and Riley Green have become nothing short of a powerhouse duo in country music over the past two years. Though their relationship has unfortunately become a focal point for tabloids, with fans and outlets alike trying to paint the two as a couple and even subsequently dragging Megan Moroney into the mix in an attempt to create a “love triangle,” the two have been dominant as of late — both as singular artists and as duet partners. “you look like you love me” was particularly successful for the pair. Beyond receiving a staggering seven separate wins across the ACM and CMA Awards, the smash hit would also become the first song in the history of the CMAs to take home both Single, Song and Music Video of the Year in a single night. They’d follow that up just months later with “Don’t Mind If I Do.” Though it didn’t quite reach the heights of their previous single, it was still wildly successful. On top of scoring an ACM win for Music Event of the Year, the track would net the pair another #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, along with another platinum certification from the RIAA. “You Look Like You Love Me” “Don’t Mind If I Do” 2. Flatland Cavalry & Kaitlin Butts Simply put, this list would be incomplete without the inclusion of Flatland Cavalry and Kaitlin Butts. As most fans of the pair know by now, frontman Cleto Cordero is married to Butts, and they’ve quickly became one of country music’s favorite couples. Obviously, the song that everyone knows the pair for is none other than the certified gold “A Life Where We Work Out,” which has all but become a modern country classic at this point. With that being said, however, the couple have collaborated multiple times since then, with Butts appearing on Flatland’s 2023 track “Mornings With You” and Cordero appearing on Butts’ cover of “People Will Say We’re In Love” from the musical, Oklahoma! “A Life Where We Work Out” “Mornings With You” “People Will Say We’re In Love” 3. Sam Barber & Avery Anna Two of the hottest stars flying out today’s new generation of social media stars are undoubtedly Sam Barber and Avery Anna. While both artists have respectively put up monster numbers to start their careers on their own, mainly Barber catching fire with his 2023 single, “Straight and Narrow,” as well as his monster debut album, Restless Mind and Anna going viral on TikTok seemingly weekly, when the pair team up, it’s been nothing short of gold. Of course, this is best displayed on their smash hit from 2024, “Indigo,” which not only received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) but also scored the duo their first-ever placement on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #40. Additionally, it’s been nothing short of a giant both on streaming and TikTok, garnering over 414 million streams on Spotify alone and being used in a staggering 217,900 unique videos on the social media platform. They’d end up double-dipping collaboration-wise on Barber’s debut album, Restless Mind, the same year, with Anna hopping on the title track as well. Though the song didn’t quite catch fire the way “Indigo” did, it was still another highly successful outing for the young power duo, being one of their most-streamed, with over 117 million on Spotify. “Indigo” “Restless Mind” 4. Eric Church & Morgan Wallen On the surface, the pairing between Church and Wallen seems quite odd, with Church being one of the most influential modern songwriters/artists in the genre and Wallen arguably being the most polarizing figure in country music. Despite extremely different sonic styles and opinions surrounding them, they’ve not only become frequent collaborators, but also business partners and friends. It should come as no surprise that Church’s appearances on Wallen’s last two albums, “Man Made A Bar” and “Number 3 and Number 7” have been some of the best and most traditionally country tracks present on each project. “Man Made A Bar” “Number 3 and Number 7” 5. Zach Bryan & Kings of Leon Easily the most unconventional duo on this list, Zach Bryan and the rock band Kings of Leon have come together not once but twice. Of course, the most high-profile release from the pair was their first, 2025’s “Bowery.” With that being said, they turned just weeks later and released a second collaboration, “We’re Onto Something.” “Bowery,” which is the standout from the two, was a quite successful outing, netting them a Top 10 hit on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Songs chart. Additionally, the pair would team up for a performance of “Atlantic City” with the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen, later in 2025 as well. “Bowery” “We’re Onto Something” “Atlantic City” (with Bruce Springsteen) The post Five Of The Best Modern Country Music Duet Partners first appeared on Whiskey Riff.