A blast from the past. Over the past decade or so, Tyler Childers has emerged from the hollers of Eastern Kentucky to become one of the most compelling voices in country music – and he’s done it all without mainstream support or radio play. Childers has paved his own way with his unique and authentic sound that mixes country with bluegrass, and has proven to be one of the greatest songwriters of our generation by telling the stories of both the struggles and the beauty of Appalachia. Beyond his legendary discography that contains the likes of “Feathered Indians,” “Lady May,” “In Your Love,” “Nose On The Grindstone” and his latest viral hit, “Bitin’ List,” the Kentucky native has influenced many of today’s country stars, ranging from Zach Bryan, Wyatt Flores, Charles Wesley Godwin and more. With seven studio albums, six certified platinum singles and a whole bunch of underrated deep cuts, Childers has placed himself firmly among the greats of today’s country scene. But not so long ago, he was just a kid playing music in Huntington, West Virginia. Childers built his career – and much of his band – in the small college town bordering Kentucky, home to (my alma mater) the Marshall University Thundering Herd, a small live music club that was then-known as the V Club (I think it’s changed names since then), and…well, not a ton else. Just outside of Huntington there’s a music store in Barboursville, West Virginia called the Route 60 Music Co., which recently announced that it will be closing its doors early next month. Over the past couple of decades, the store has welcomed musicians ranging from students to Grammy winners – and one of those who spent time in the store was Tyler Childers. Back in 2015, Route 60 Music Co. shared a video of the then-up-and-coming Childers sitting down to play an unreleased song called “22nd Winter,” a song that he used to play live with relative frequency but one that’s never received an official studio cut. (It looks like the last time it appeared on his setlist was back in 2018). While Tyler never officially released the song, fans still fell in love with it through videos of the live performances and a version posted to YouTube by Red Barn Radio. And once you hear the song, you’ll understand why. The lyrics tell the story of being snowed in with his then-future wife, Senora May, in a cabin during the winter. (That cabin was on the property of a fan who allowed him to stay on his property in exchange for labor when he was first getting started in music, and as fate would have it, it’s now where he and his wife call home). As Tyler fondly sings about in the song: “Sally Ann Mountain is mule-faced steep And covered in a sheet of ice And we’re already here and the fire’s warm So I reckon we should stay the night Very Old Barton and Guinness on the porch It’s cold enough to keep ’em chill And for a pair of thieves like you and me I believe that’s a damn good meal” The video shared by Route 60 Music Co. is no doubt a blast from the past for early Tyler Childers fans, and also a reminder of just how far he’s come since the days of playing music shops and clubs around Kentucky and West Virginia. The post Watch Tyler Childers Deliver Acoustic Performance Of An Unreleased Song At A Music Store In West Virginia Back In 2015 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

After nearly two decades, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan are still making music — and playful jabs — together. What keeps this friendship thriving in the spotlight? Continue reading…

David Allan Coe was one of country music's most polarizing figures, but he also left a large-looming musical legacy. Continue reading…

Kid Rock wants fans to know how he understood David Allan Coe but it's not that simple. Continue reading…

Remembering one of the greatest outlaws in the genre. Last night, country music suffered a huge loss with David Allan Coe, who passed away at the age of 86 while in an intensive care unit. When you think of the genre “Outlaw Country,” Coe will undoubtedly be one of the first names to come to mind. The country legend had a rough upbringing in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, being sent away to reform school at the age of 9 and spending the majority of his childhood and early adulthood either in reform school or behind bars. But while serving time in prison in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, Coe developed a love for songwriting, and moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music after being released in 1967. Because he hardly had a dime to his name at the time, Coe lived in hearse that he would park outside of the Ryman Auditorium, standing on top and playing for audiences heading into shows on weekends. Sure enough, his plan worked worked, as a worker for an independent label liked what they heard and signed Coe to Shelby Singleton’s Plantation Records. Coe’s first two albums (which were much more blues in nature) were on Plantation, including Penitentiary Blues in 1970, and Requiem for a Harlequin in 1973. Despite being one of the quintessential names in the outlaw movement, up there with the names like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and more, the “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” singer actually butted heads with the trio, calling them sell-outs on multiple occasions. Even with some callouts in interviews, Jennings would admit that he still had a love and respect for Coe: “He could drive me crazy, but there was something about David that pulled at my heartstrings.” Among his legendary catalog, Coe is best known for songs like “Longhaired Redneck,” “The Ride” and of course the original version of “Tennessee Whiskey,” which later also became a hit for George Jones and Chris Stapleton who allowed the song to become just the third song in history to sell 20 million units and go double-diamond. Additionally, he also wrote songs like “Take This Job And Shove It,” which would become a hit for Johnny Paycheck. In honor of Coe’s passing, let’s take a look at 10 of his biggest hits throughout his storied career. 1. “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” Arguably Coe’s most signature song, “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” has been called the “perfect country song” on multiple different occasions. Unlike most of his discography, it actually wasn’t written by the Ohio native — instead being penned by the legendary Steve Goodman and John Prine (who asked to be uncredited). Appearing on his 1975 album, Once Upon a Rhyme, the track became one of a handful of Coe’s Top 10 hits throughout his career, peaking at #8. Additionally, it’s remained his most popular song in the 21st century, being his highest-streamed song on Spotify with over 129 million streams. Peak Chart Position: #8 2. “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile” A bit surprisingly, “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile” is actually Coe’s highest-charting song of his career, peaking at #2 in the summer of 1984 behind Eddy Raven’s “I Got Mexico.” It did, however, reach #1 up north, topping the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart on June 30, 1984. Peak Chart Position: #2 3. “The Ride” Another one of Coe’s signature songs, “The Ride” has remained one of his most popular songs into the 21st century. Upon its release, it would become his second-highest charting song, peaking at #4 in the summer in 1983. Like “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” it’s also remained a fan-favorite today, being his second-most-streamed track on Spotify with over 115 million streams. Appearing on his 1983 album, Castles in the Sand, “The Ride” famously tells the story of Coe meeting the ghost of Hank Williams Sr. on a drive back to Music City and has often made many’s best narrative country songs lists throughout the years. Peak Chart Position: #4 4. “Longhaired Redneck” Released as the lead single from his 1976 album of the same name, “Longhaired Redneck” was released immediately after “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” marking the most successful stretch of his career. Notably, Coe directly references the outlaw movement, calling out the suits who profited off of the movement. A protest about the commercialization of the movement at its core, “Longhaired Redneck” was undoubtedly one of Coe’s biggest statements early in his career. Peak Chart Position: #17 5. “She Used to Love Me a Lot” Originally a unreleased Johnny Cash song that was written by Dennis Morgan, Charles Quillen and Kye Fleming, “She Used to Love Me a Lot” became one of Coe’s biggest hits from a chart perspective. Appearing on his 1985 album, Darlin’ Darlin’, the track would peak at #11 in 1985, becoming Coe’s final Top 20 hit of his career. Peak Chart Position: #11 6. “If This Is Just a Game” Unlike the last five tracks, “If This Is Just a Game” is a Coe track that received more love years after its release. Upon its release as the second single from his 1978 album, Human Emotion, the song would be a middling single, only peaking at #45. With that being said, it’s been one of his most popular song in the 21st century thanks to TikTok. Despite being a single that failed to reach the Top 40 upon its release, “If This Is Just a Game” has remained one of his most popular songs on the social media platform, garnering a staggering 44,000 unique video uses over the years. Because of this, its currently his #1 trending song on both Apple Music and Spotify, where it has over 36 million streams. Peak Chart Position: #45 7. “Willie, Waylon and Me” As mentioned previously, “Willie, Waylon and Me” created some problems for Coe due to the fact he criticized the pair after releasing the track. Despite this, it was still one of his most popular songs from a chart-perspective. Shortly after its release in 1976, it would become one of six Top 25 hits in his severely underrated career. Peak Chart Position: #25 8. “D-R-U-N-K” Just like “If This Is Just a Game,” “D-R-U-N-K” is another song that received a whole lot of love on social media and boosted it to the top of Coe’s discography in the streaming era. Unlike “If This Is Just a Game,” however, the track was not even released as a single, appearing as a deep cut on his 1981 Tennessee Whiskey album. Despite its status as a deep cut, it began going viral on TikTok in 2025, garnering over 18,700 unique video uses over the years. Thanks to the virality, its currently Coe’s sixth-most streamed song on Spotify with over 22 million streams. Peak Chart Position: N/A 9. “Need a Little Time Off for Bad Behavior” As one of Coe’s final officially-released radio singles of his career, “Need a Little Time Off for Bad Behavior” ultimately became one of his highest-charting songs of his career. Appearing on his 1987 album, A Matter of Life… and Death, the track was his final Top 40 hit, peaking at #34. Peak Chart Position: #34 10. “Tennessee Whiskey” As mentioned previously, despite George Jones popularizing the track and Chris Stapleton blowing it up into the stratosphere, Coe was the first one to record the track. Written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove, “Tennessee Whiskey” appeared on his 1981 album of the same name. Famously, the song was not very successful for Coe as a single, peaking all the way down at #77 in 1981. With that being said, however, it would be remiss not to include the track on this list thanks to its importance to the genre 45 years later. Peak Chart Position: #77 The post Remembering David Allan Coe: 10 Of The Biggest Hits From The Late, Outlaw Legend first appeared on Whiskey Riff.