Chet Hanks, son of Hollywood royalty Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, is embracing life in Nashville as he takes a serious shot at building a career in country music. Continue reading…

Noah Kahan is reflecting on the death of his friend Carlo and the lesson that stayed with him long after the loss. Continue reading…

Gonna be a heck of a party for America’s 250th birthday. Carolina Country Music Festival is gearing up for a massive festival in beautiful Myrtle Beach, South Carolina next month, featuring performances from some of the biggest names in country music like Riley Green, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Post Malone, Justin Moore, Tracy Lawrence, and many, many more. Of course this year’s festival also comes as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday with festivities around the country – and Carolina Country Music Festival is going all out. This year’s festival will feature special programming across multiple stages throughout the 4-day festival, including live performances from the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band, military honors and ceremonial presentations throughout the weekend, and they’ll even be presenting a K9 service dog for a veteran through Special Operations Wounded Warriors. You love to see it. That’s not all though: Throughout the weekend, there will be onsite patriotic activations honoring those who have served our country, and the USO will also be onsite supporting service members. And the celebrations won’t just be on the ground. The festival will also feature the return of the Special Forces Association Parachute Team, who will be performing a dramatic jump while carrying a 1,500-square-foot American flag, as well as fireworks and a drone show with more than 600 drones lighting up the Myrtle Beach skyline. On top of all the patriotic celebrations throughout the festival, Saturday will also be their “Red, White & Boots” theme night, with festivalgoers encouraged to dress in their most patriotic gear in celebration of our great country. Speaking on the opportunity to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, Southern Entertainment co-founder Bob Durkin spoke about the natural connection between country music and paying tribute to those who served: “At CCMF, country music and celebrating America go hand in hand. As we mark the 250th anniversary of our nation, we’re planning to celebrate in a big way — from powerful tributes to unforgettable aerial moments and more. It’s about honoring America’s history while recognizing the men and women who have made it all possible.” And Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark Kruea expressed his excitement to show off the incredible festival and city as part of the nationwide, yearlong celebration: “Myrtle Beach is thrilled to host an event of this scale and significance as our community joins the nation in commemorating 250 years of American history. Carolina Country Music Fest continues to showcase the very best of Myrtle Beach — bringing people together through music, honoring those who serve, and creating a celebration that is both memorable for visitors and meaningful for our city.” Carolina Country Music Festival kicks off June 4 and runs through June 7, and will feature multiple stages as well as plenty more to make your trip to the beach an unforgettable one. The festival is now entering its second decade and has sold out four consecutive years. Main Stage VIP tickets for 2026 are already sold out, and Super VIP are almost gone too, so you’re probably not going to want to wait much longer to get your tickets for this one. General admission tickets start at just $79 per day for four days of non-stop music (but keep reading and we can help you save a little money). Festival goers will get to enjoy entry to the festival’s air-conditioned dive bars featuring live music throughout the day, curated shopping villages, interactive fan activities and Music City-inspired favorites such as karaoke, dueling pianos and line dancing lessons—delivering an authentic Nashville-style celebration to the Carolina coast. But if you’re looking to elevate your experience Carolina Country Music Festival also offers Super VIP tickets that gives fans the most exclusive access, including a private festival entrance, front row viewing at the main stage, an elevated viewing platform with a full-service bar, an air-conditioned catering tent with seating, curated food offerings with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and evening buffets Friday through Sunday, private restrooms and an open bar within the Super VIP section. Tickets for the festival are on sale NOW at CarolinaCountryMusicFest.com, and they’re going quick so if you’re looking for summer plans you should probably go ahead and lock in now – and if you use code WHISKEYRIFF at checkout you’ll even get 10% off. Get your tickets now, and we’ll see you at the beach. The post Carolina Country Music Festival To Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday With Massive Drone Show, Military Presentations & Much More first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Season 1 of 'Dutton Ranch' is sure to come with tragedy. I think I know what it is. Continue reading…

Her Texas roots run deep. Last week, Kacey Musgraves released her sixth studio album, Middle of Nowhere, which Musgraves produced alongside longtime collaborators Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk. It, of course, featured the highly anticipated duet with Miranda Lambert, “Horses and Divorces,” as well as the super-talented Billy Strings on the album. She also featured legendary Texan Willie Nelson on a song called “Uncertain, TX,” which she previously debuted solo at Coachella. Since the record’s drop, Musgraves has done a Texas-sized promotional run, which includes a three-night stint at the historic Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas. We are currently in the middle of the run, and the content that’s coming out of the legendary dance hall is incredible. On the first night of her tour, Musgraves laid down many of her new tracks, but also paid homage to her Texas roots and pulled out a classic from the Texan and famed Latin artist, Selena. Selena, born Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the “Queen of Tejano music,” was born in Lake Jackson, Texas, and her family later settled on the coast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Selena was no stranger to historic Texas venues of the years, like the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas and Houston’s El Dorado Ranch. While there is no historical data that Selena took the stage at Gruene Hall, given that Musgraves is performing in South Texas, she chose to tip her hat to Selena during the show. While the song is widely known for Selena’s version, the ranchera was penned decades earlier by Mexican composer Felipe Valdés Leal in 1949. Linda Ronstadt covered the tune in 1987 before Selena covered it in 1995, and appeared on her record Dreaming of You. The song that translates to “You, Only You” became Selena’s longest-running #1 hit, spending a total of 10 weeks at the top of the charts.  Musgraves tipped her hat to the Texas legend, laying down a stellar cover of the deep heartbreak tune. The ballad is filled with rich melodies while Musgraves croons lyrics of longing and despair over a former lover. The tune honestly fits right into the themes of Middle Of Nowhere, specifically relating to the tune “Back On The Wagon,” which highlights two quarreling lovers trying to mend the hurt they’ve caused each other and vowing to be good to each other again now that the man is back on the wagon. Miss Musgraves blew this cover out of the water. @wonderlandallison Tú Solo Tú – Selena cover by @kaceymusgraves at Gruene Hall (5/3/26) #kaceymusgraves #selena #cover #tusolotu #gruene ♬ Tú, Solo Tú – 30th Anniversary Remastered 2025 – Selena Honestly, some of her fans were spot on with their comments on this post. “Someone tell Ella this is why he chose Texas.” “KASANDRA MUSGRAVEZ.” “Tia Kacey.” “One Texas girl singing for another.” “She ain’t new to this, she true to this.” “Mad respect for this chica in Texas! She knows how to step up!!” I would not be opposed if a studio cut of this came from Musgraves one day. Of course, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy Musgraves’ version without those who recorded it before, so fire up Selena’s rendition while you’re here: The post WATCH: Kacey Musgraves Covers Selena’s “Tú Solo Tú” At Gruene Hall first appeared on Whiskey Riff.