Not gonna be over any time soon. It seems that Garth Brooks is doing his best to get things moving in a sexual assault lawsuit that was filed against him way back in 2024. But this week an appeals court denied his latest request to speed things up in the ongoing back and forth over whether his accuser will be allowed to remain anonymous in court. If you’ll recall, the litigation actually consists of two cases: A lawsuit filed in California by a former hairdresser for the country accusing him of raping and sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions; and a lawsuit filed by Garth against the same woman a few days before she filed her complaint, attempting to block his accuser from filing her lawsuit against him, denying her allegations and accusing her of a “shakedown.” Garth had used pseudonyms for both parties when filing his case in Mississippi, identifying himself and his accuser only as “John Doe” and “Jane Roe” to prevent their identities from becoming public. But when she filed her lawsuit in California, she used Garth’s name in the complaint, which obviously made her allegations against him public – while protecting her own identity. After he was named in the court filings, Garth went back and amended his complaint in the Mississippi case to include the names of BOTH parties, arguing that his accuser had forfeited her right to remain anonymous and proceed under a pseudonym because she had included identifying information in the California case. This obviously upset the woman, who asked the judge in Mississippi to sanction Garth and to issue a ruling allowing her to remain anonymous and continue to use “Jane Roe” in court filings instead of her real name. But last September, Judge Henry Wingate denied her motion to proceed under a pseudonym and also denied her request for sanctions against Garth – which would pave the way for the singer to publicly name his accuser in court documents. In his order, the judge ruled that the woman had already been publicly identified, both when Garth used her name in court filings and online through publicly available information, and that basically, the cat was already out of the bag. The court also pointed out that the woman was not in favor of sealing the record in the case until her identity became public: “Ms. Roe was more concerned with airing Mr. Doe’s identity to the public than preserving her own confidentiality.” The court also pointed out that when he filed his case in Mississippi, Garth had filed a motion asking permission for BOTH of the parties to remain anonymous – but before the judge could rule on that motion, the woman filed her California lawsuit and named Garth as the defendant, outing him publicly and rendering the issue moot. It was only then that Garth named her in the Mississippi suit, which he had not done to that point. Obviously the woman wasn’t happy with the court’s ruling, and has since filed an appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which brings us to this week’s ruling. Garth had asked the court to expedite the appeal, citing the need to get this case moving. The country star argued that, given the age of these allegations, people’s memories would continue to fade. He also cited the death of his longtime publicist, Nancy Seltzer, who he claimed was a witness in the case, as proof that the evidence in the case beneficial to him was disappearing because the case is taking so long. As Garth pointed out in his legal filings, the case has been pending for nearly 20 months, but has been “stayed,” meaning a court ordered a halt to the proceedings, for nearly 80% of that time. But the court was unpersuaded. This week, a three judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Garth’s motion to expedite the appeal, meaning that it’s still going to be a while before the issue of proceeding under a pseudonym is official put to rest. Remember, this has nothing to do with the actual issues in the lawsuit: This is JUST over whether he can use her real name in court filings. And nothing else can happen in the cases until this issue is resolved. The court has ordered the woman to file her brief on the issue by May 20, which would mean that (unless any extensions are granted) Garth will have to file his brief on the issue within 30 days after that, and his accuser will then have another 21 days to file a reply brief. It will then be up to the court to decide whether to hold an oral argument on the issue, and when to issue their opinion. That means that it’s likely to be sometime in the fall before the issue is resolved and the case gets back to the lower courts to start working through the merits. Long story short: It’s going to be a while – which is exactly what his accuser wants, and what Garth is trying to avoid.The post Court Refuses To Expedite Appeal In Garth Brooks Sexual Assault Lawsuit first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

After 13 years, Amy Grant is back with a fresh album that dives into life’s ups and downs, including some poignant moments with her late mother. Continue reading…

“Live like Jimmy Buffett” could be the health and wellness tip that we all needed to hear. Though the world lost Jimmy Buffett back in September of 2023, the spirit of the man behind songs like “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “Margaritaville” is alive and well. When the leader of the Parrotheads passed away at 76-years-old after a battle with skin cancer, his passing was announced with a touching message posted on Buffett’s social media accounts: “Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st, surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs. He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”  View this post on Instagram Take a moment to soak in that “lived his life like a song” line. There’s something to that, isn’t there? If you ask the crowd behind the “Jimmy Buffett Maxxing” movement, they’d certainly say yes. The Parrot Heads out there have long tried to life their life like their leader, and now, the idea is catching on with people outside of the fan base. Just in case you don’t know what maxxing is, Merriam Webster defines the Gen Z term as this: “Maxxing (sometimes spelled -maxing) describes the practice of optimizing a specific aspect of one’s life, often to an extreme degree.” Although it was originally associated with words concerned with increasing one’s physical appeal (looksmaxxing) oftentimes in a rather hyper-obsessive and even unhealthy way, “maxxing” is now a slang term that can be applied in virtually any area someone might obsessively improve You can basically add -maxxing to anything. Country music playlist maxxing, chopped brisket maxxing, cold beer maxxing… whatever you wish to maximize in your life. A lot of people out there are discovering that Jimmy Buffett Maxxing could have a positive impact on their life. What do they mean by that? Well, this social media user described the art of Jimmy Buffett Maxxing in very simple, inspirational terms. Basically, you just live your life as best you can to emulate that of how the “Son of a Sailor” singer lived: “Jimmy lived everyday to the absolute fullest. He built an empire off the things he loved, like music. He enjoyed the little things, like sunshine, the ocean, margaritas and friends. He didn’t let the little things worry him. Most importantly, he built a life that felt like a 24/7 vacation.” View this post on Instagram Now that it’s spelled out for you, it doesn’t sound half bad, right? All of these self help books out here are all really just trying to lead you to a life where you are happy, find joy in the small things, and get out into nature. Jimmy Buffett Maxxing checks all of those boxes, and it’s a movement that I think can really pick up some steam. In fact… it looks like it’s already begun when you dive into the comment section: “Jimmy Buffett Maxxing right now (left the office early to day drink with my dog).” “Yep, we’ve been shouting this from the rooftops.” “Jimmy Maxxing is simply doing less and doing what you want.” “Keep this on the low though. We’ve been Jimmy Buffet Maxxing for years.” “Sudden urge for a cheeseburger.” “Amen brother, drink one for Jimmy, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.” I don’t know about you, but I’m going to start my Jimmy Buffett Maxxing journey right now: “It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere” The post What Is “Jimmy Buffett Maxxing”? Why The Margaritaville Mindset Is Taking Over the Internet first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Look out Wheeler Walker Jr., Brantley Gilbert might have been going for a country music world record with his latest song, “F***ED ME UP.” If you want to get radio play, you generally have to avoid dropping certain words into a song. One of the big ones to avoid – if not the big one – is the f-word. Brantley Gilbert said to hell with that (might even want to avoid “hell” too), and dropped a song with an f-bomb in the title. It’s called “F***ED ME UP,” but it’s probably not exactly what you think. Gilbert shared the song along with the announcement of his forthcoming album, SINS OF THE FATHER, which is set to release later this summer. In the post sharing the news, the country music artist explained how this collection of songs – including “F***ED ME UP” – came to be: “My new album ‘SINS OF THE FATHER’ is coming out July 24th! I’ve lived a lot of life to get here. This record is me owning all of it – the mistakes, the lessons and who I am now. It’s all part of the same story, and each track stands on its own, representing its own chapter. To celebrate, my new song “F****D ME UP” is out now.” View this post on Instagram Now let’s get to the song that drops the f-bomb 16 separate times, shall we? If you are like me, you probably read that and assume it’s some sort of raunchy song, maybe an angry song? After all, there’s usually a strong correlation between a high amount of curse words and a song diving into NSFW material. But this track from Gilbert is actually the opposite. It’s a piano ballad of sorts that’s actually very romantic, and tells the story of his wife coming into his life and changing it for the better: “But you f***ed me up, downhill, full throttle You f***ed me up, I lost my mind If it wasn’t enough, goodbye was rock bottom The man I was wasn’t gonna survive You f***ed me up.” For all those pearl-clutchers out there, take a deep breath. Brantley Gilbert also shared a clean version of the song, which swaps out the 16 f-bombs with the word “messed” (there’s also a clean version of the album dropping alongside the regular SINS OF THE FATHER on July 24). Granted, it doesn’t land as much emotionally, but it is more suitable for a car ride with the kiddos than the original. You can fire up the explicit version below: “F***ED ME UP” You could even hear that song live if you go to a Rock the Country date with Brantley Gilbert in the lineup (South Dakota, Kentucky and Michigan). Rock the Country rolls on this summer with its next stop in Bloomingdale, Georgia on May 29-30, with a jam-packed lineup featuring Kid Rock, Miranda Lambert, Jelly Roll, Treaty Oak Revival, Shenandoah, Josh Turner, Ian Munsick, and many, many more. Tickets are available at RocktheCountry.com, though some packages are already sold out so if you’re planning on waiting until the last minute it’s probably better to go ahead and get your tickets now. ‘Rock the Country’ Tour Dates May 29-30 – Bloomingdale, GA June 27-28 – Sioux Falls, SD July 10-11 – Ashland, KY August 8-9 – Hastings, MI August 28-29 – Ocala, FL September 11-12 – Hamburg, NYThe post Brantley Gilbert Drops 16 F-Bombs In Emotional New… Love Song? first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

They can’t miss. Self-described as “not your father’s country band,” Ole 60 has been making waves in the alt. country scene since their debut in 2023. Since bursting onto the scene with the viral, now certified gold track, “Smoke & a Light,” the Kentucky band has continually released stellar track after stellar track, highlighted best by their debut 2024 EP, Songs About You. After dropping both Three Twenty Four in 2023 and the aforementioned, Songs About You last fall, Ole 60 finally pulled the trigger on their debut album last month, Smokestack Town, an 11-track record that transported you directly into the band’s hometown of Hawesville, Kentucky. The record ultimately showcased exactly why so many fans have gravitated to Ole 60’s sound over the past two years. Complete with their signature grunge-influenced southern rock sound, much in the vein of their contemporaries, Treaty Oak Revival, Koe Wetzel and Kolby Cooper, Smokestack Town proved to be one of the most stellar releases of the year. A wildly successful debut album, Smokestack Town proved why Ole 60 is one of the hottest bands in the growing alt. country and southern rock. And while many thought that Young and Co. were done for the year with the release of Smokestack Town, they decided to give fans one last release in the form of a brand new single, “Can’t Take It With You.” Since then, they’ve been hitting the road hard in 2026. Kicking off their headlining Smokestack Tour across the country back in February with the likes of Southall, Gabriella Rose, Buffalo Traffic Jam and more, they’re in the closing weeks now. Immediately after, they’re also joining Koe Wetzel on his new The Night Champion Tour throughout July. With the Smokestack Tour slowly coming to a close, the Kentucky band decided to surprise fans at their show at Ting Pavilion in Charlottesville, North Carolina, last night with a never-before-heard song seemingly titled “Be Alright.” Spoiler alert: it’s another heartbreaker. Before performing the song, frontman Jacob Ty Myers would tell the North Carolina crowd that he just wrote it two days ago: “I wrote this one literally two days ago, so bear with me if I f*** it up.” Holding zero punches, Myers immediately sets the scene by painting a picture of a conversation between him and someone struggling with depression — and most likely self-harm —  as he admits that he’s trying to right the wrongs from their past. “Picking up the pieces of you Tryin’ to put ’em back in their place After all the sh*t you’ve been through, nobody blames you for The blood on the arms or the tears on your face And I think I feel the spiral again Never found the right time to say What you needed to hear, but I’m here now and I ain’t goin’ nowhere ‘Til the sunrises west every day” Following that gut-punch of an opening verse, Myers then delivers an incredibly conflicted chorus. Grappling with the fact that he hadn’t been there in the past, he welcomes them back with open arms, closing the chorus out with the painful lyric of “I’m just glad to know that you’re still alive.” “It’s been a hell of a year I’m just happy you’re here I’m just glad to know that you’re still alive Be alright” If you’ve been a fan of Ole 60, you already know that Myers and Co. aren’t afraid to cut deep and go into darker places in their songs. With that being said, however, this one might be their most moving one yet. As a powerful reflection on depression and the way it affects relationships, I’m sure this one’s going to touch a lot of people when they finally get around to releasing it. Watch here: @ole60hub Can already tell this one is gonna be a hit @Ole 60 #ole60 #newmusic ♬ original sound – ole60hub Ole 60 Tour Dates May 8 – Virginia Beach, Virginia May 9 – Baltimore, Maryland May 14 – Asheville, North Carolina May 15 – Charlotte, North Carolina May 16 – Raleigh, North Carolina May 29 – Gainesville, Florida May 30 – Panama City Beach, Florida June 19 – Minneapolis, Minnesota June 20 – Minneapolis, Minnesota June 26 – Houston, Texas June 27 – Luling, TexasThe post WATCH: Ole 60 Debuts Powerful New Song In Charlottesville first appeared on Whiskey Riff.