Jelly Roll is admitting he has some shortcomings when it comes to his relationship with God. That’s something a lot of Christians can relate to, am I right? Christianity calls for all Christ followers to lead a life that’s dedicated to the Lord. A lot of times, that “life-leading” is reserved just to a couple of hours on Sunday. The rest of the week is dedicated to the busyness of a worldly life. The rapper-turned-country-artist certainly feels like he could be doing more, and one of the ways he’s trying to contribute is by releasing gospel music. Chances are you’ve heard his collaboration with Christian artist Brandon Lake, “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” which earned Jelly Roll his first nomination for a contemporary Christian music (CCM) award. Then you’ve got some of Jelly Roll’s other songs like “Need A Favor” and “Son of a Sinner,” which have underlying Christian themes. The singer is helping others discovery their faith, and he told the AP that he feels as though that’s something that’s happening more and more in the modern day: “I think there really is a revival happening in America right now where people are being re-presented the Gospel in a digestible way. And it doesn’t seem as finger waggy and ‘You’re all going to hell,’ you know? I really don’t care when the organized religions wave their finger at me. I’m just glad to see the message, the Gospel getting presented.” All believers can agree on that. That’s a basic examples of towards motivations versus away motivation. Jelly Roll believes that, for so long, churches have been pushing this “do this or you’ll go to hell” agenda when they’d be more successful encouraging non-believers to move closer to God. It’s through his music – both in the Christian and country genres – that he’s planting seeds for fans to explore their own faith. He’s touching people’s lives in a positive way, no way to argue against that. All that being said, Jelly Roll recognizes that he’s not perfect. He’s put his criminal history behind him, but the singer doesn’t run away from it. Jelly is constantly talking about where he came from, in hopes that he can inspire others that may be in a similar place that he used to be. And every time he discusses his rags-to-riches story, he gives glory to God for leading him to where he is today. His story is not unlike of number of people we read about in the Bible. Paul persecuted Christians before he became the world’s greatest missionary. King David slept with another man’s wife and then had him killed when she got pregnant, Moses killed an Egyptian and buried him in the desert, Abram lied and offered his wife up to other men TWICE, Rahab was a prostitute… the list goes on. God has always used broken and imperfect people to further the kingdom, and Jelly Roll is no different. And even so, Jelly Roll admits that he could be doing even more to live his life like Christ. He even told the AP that he feels some guilt about releasing worship music, but knows that God recognizes his heart and his intentions: “I definitely live a little too secular to be releasing Christian music. He’s got my back. God knows my heart.” That takes a lot of guts for Jelly Roll to say that. A majority of Christians can probably relate to living of the world, but not every Christian is going to admit it. Just goes to show that Jelly is very comfortable with his relationship with God, even though he knows it can still use some work. But hey, that’s what sanctification is… that lifelong process of getting better and better, day by day, all the way to glory. “Hard Fought Hallejuah” by Brandon Lake & Jelly Roll The post Jelly Roll Knows He’s Not Perfect, But The Gospel Is Still Being Presented: “Live A Little Too Secular To Be Releasing Christian Music” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

One of The Hag’s most autobiographical songs, indeed. On this date in 1966, Merle Haggard released his single “The Fugitive,” which would later be know as “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive,” which ultimately became his first #1 hit. Written by Liz Anderson and Casey Anderson (parents of country music singer Lynn Anderson), it was the lead single and title track from the album I’m a Lonesome Fugitive, and topped the U.S. country singles chart, spending one week at number one and fifteen weeks on the chart. Of course, it was incredibly similar to Merle’s own story, as he sings about a man constantly on the run from the law, capturing the lonely  life of a fugitive. Merle’s parents moved to California from Oklahoma as Dust Bowl migrants, and his father died when he was only nine years old. In his youth, he ended up in juvenile detention, and eventually, found himself at San Quentin prison. The famous story goes that he saw Johnny Cash play there, and the rest, as they say, is history, and when Merle released “The Fugitive,” wasn’t too far removed from his time in prison. It was released in 1966, and Merle had left San Quentin on November 3, 1960, where he was serving a term for burglary. And in an interview with Prime Time Country back in the day, Merle recalled Liz showing up to one of his concerts in Sacramento, and asking him to go out and listen to some of the songs she had written, in hopes he might cut out. Merle admitted he didn’t want to, but his brother talked him into it, and I’m sure he was thankful for that when the song topped the country charts: “I was playing Sacramento one night and I’d had a couple of hit records that went into the top five but I hadn’t had a #1 record yet. This lady came to the show and she had these songs. She wanted us to go out and hear these songs and cut records for her and I didn’t want to go. My brother talked me into it. We got out there and she sang me about five #1 songs and ‘The Fugitive’ was one of them. Her name was Liz Anderson, and her husband Casey Anderson, they were songwriters, and so she was responsible for giving me my first #1 song.” He explained that the song took his career to the next level: “It sure did. Like you said, it’s one level to the next, and that made a whole new day for me, to have that under your belt, to be able to perform a #1 record, at your concert.” It’s pretty wild to think that Merle almost stopped himself from getting his first hit country song, but luckily, there were people in his life that thought better of it and helped him get there, even if against his own will a little bit… you just never know what song will become a hit. Merle reflected on how that song jumpstarted his country music career, humbly saying that never stopped being a surprise when he got a hit single or reached a huge career milestone: “I guess you could say that. I don’t know… it’s been a journey and a wonderful trip, and every time I ring the bell, I’m just as surprised as I was the first time. I wish I knew how to do it so I could do it again.” Merle’s career was like something out of a movie, and he became one of the most beloved and iconic artists in country music thanks to his first #1 song, “The Fugitive.” This live performance is amazing: “The Fugitive” And the interview where he talks about the song: The post Merle Haggard Almost Didn’t Record His First #1 Hit Single, “The Fugitive” – “Made A Whole New Day For Me” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

More hardware for the Big Dog Daddy. It’s hard to believe we’re approaching 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. Of course, from a legacy standpoint, few artists have matched the “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” singer’s career accomplishments. Beyond his recently-named status as one of the top touring artists of the millennium (#24 overall), Keith scored 41 Top 10 hits, 20 #1 singles, 10 #1 albums, 14 ACM Awards and a plethora of other award throughout his illustrious career. Notably, Keith has experienced an incredibly amount success in terms of certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Throughout his 30+ year career, he’s captured a staggering 25 platinum certifications and 44 gold certifications, totaling 61.5 million units sold. This week, Keith scored a pair of posthumous RIAA certifications for his career-defining 2002 #1 hit, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” which was certified 5x platinum and his 1993 #2 hit, “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More  Action,” which was finally certified gold. While all of this sounds great, the RIAA (and its subsequent certification process) can be a bit confusing, so let me explain how it all works. Starting with their background, the RIAA is a trade organization consisting of major record labels and distributors that aims to “support and promote the creative and commercial vitality of music labels in the United States.” With that being said, however, their primary feature, in terms of public discussion of music, is undoubtedly their tracking of artists’ sales. These sales, of course, are tracked in terms of “gold,” “platinum,” and “diamond” certifications once a song or album hits the required criteria. RIAA Criteria When a single or album has sold at least 500,000 units, it is then eligible for a Gold certification; when it hits 1 million, it is eligible for Platinum certification. And finally, a song or record must sell 10 million units for it to be certified Diamond. There’s only been 18 Diamond-Certified songs in country music history. And keep in mind that the RIAA doesn’t just keep a running tab on these awards and hand out plaques; an artist’s label will actively pursue certification by applying, submitting statistics, and paying a few hundred dollars to undergo an audit to verify the sales. And then… You must purchase a plaque for each person involved. Well, only if you want to… As for what constitutes a “unit,” there are distinctions between sales regarding both singles and albums. Starting with singles, one paid download or 150 on-demand streams constitutes a unit. Albums, on the other hand, are a bit different. Given how popular streaming is in today’s age, there are three different ways an album can sell a single unit: 1) a permanent digital album or physical album sale, which basically means someone bought the record; 2) 10 permanent track downloads from the album, which laughably wouldn’t even be 1/3 of a Morgan Wallen album these days; or 3) 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video streams from the album. Of course, streaming is how a bulk of the units are earned these days. With the two new certifications, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” is now the highest-selling song of Keith’s career, surpassing “Should’ve Been a Cowboy”,” which is currently certified 4x platinum. Additionally, with a total of 61.5 million units sold, Keith surpassed none other than Eric Church (60.5 million) for the 13th highest-selling country artist in history. As of today, he sits behind the likes of Garth Brooks, George Strait, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen, the latter two undoubtedly benefiting from today’s streaming era. Top 15 Highest-Selling Country Artists (RIAA) Luke Combs Garth Brooks Morgan Wallen Luke Bryan George Strait Kenny Chesney Tim McGraw Zach Bryan Chris Stapleton Carrie Underwood Blake Shelton Shania Twain Toby Keith Eric Church Alan Jackson Before you go, fire up “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” for ‘ol time’s sake. The post Toby Keith Picks Up A Pair Of Posthumous RIAA Certifications, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” Goes 5x Platinum first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Selling FAST. Today, public on-sale for Megan Moroney’s Cloud 9 arena tour started, and the tickets are selling at lightning speed… so much so that she’s already added new shows in six different cities… including Nashville, Tennessee, where she’ll likely play two sold out shows at the Bridgestone arena. She announced on Instagram that they’re also adding shows in Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, and Glasgow. This is her first headlining arena tour run, and while I knew the demand would be high, this is insane… 2026 is going to be a huge year for Moroney, who is one of mainstream country’s biggest stars right now: “DUE TO OVERWHELMING DEMAND, Megan Moroney has added a 2nd show on The Cloud 9 Tour at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday, August 22! Tickets on sale at 10am local.” If you’re in any of those cities and still looking for tickets, I suggest getting online and purchasing them ASAP: View this post on Instagram Moroney will also release her third studio album on February 20th, which she named the tour after, and she says she can’t wait to start a new chapter in her music career, adding that the songs on the new record were written by the “strongest, most confident version” of her: “I am so excited for my fans and I to dive into this new world of Cloud 9 together. Similar to the first two albums, it’s all written about honest, personal experiences, but these songs were written by the strongest, most confident version of myself I’ve ever been. My feet feel firmly planted in my artistry and it was fun to play around sonically, while still sticking to my roots of what my fans and I love. Cloud 9 is a state of mind, and I have no doubt this will be the best chapter yet.” With the anticipation already sky-high for her tour, I’m sure the album will be a huge success once it’s released in a couple months, and it’s been incredible to see her rise over the last several years as she continues to grow and become one of the most exciting and popular artists in music. Megan was one of the most-nominated artists at the CMA Awards this year, alongside Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson, and she shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon… I think 2026 will be the year of Megan Moroney, and it will be exciting to see what happens with the album and tour. She’s certainly continuing on in a rocket to the moon, and it looks like this is the tour to be at too. The full list of dates is available below. ANNOUNCED DATES FOR MEGAN MORONEY’S THE CLOUD 9 TOUR: MAY 29 | Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center 30 | Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse JUNE 2 | Chicago, IL – United Center 5 | Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena 6 | Greensboro, NC – First Horizon Coliseum 8 | Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena 12 | Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center 13 | St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center 16 | Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena 18 | Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest 19 | Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena 20 | Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena JULY 7 | Boston, MA – TD Garden 9 | Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center 10 | Newark, NJ – Prudential Center 11 | Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena 14 | Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center 16 | Orlando, FL – Kia Center 17 | Tampa, FL – Benchmark International Arena 18 | Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena 24 | Monticello, IA – Great Jones County Fair 25 | Minneapolis, MN – Target Center 26 | Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena 28 | Denver, CO – Ball Arena AUGUST 1 | Portland, OR – Moda Center 2 | Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena 5 | Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center 7 | Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena 11 | Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena 14 | Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center 15 | Tulsa, OK – BOK Center 16 | Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center 18 | Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena 21 | Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena SEPTEMBER 13 | Oslo, NO – Sentrum Scene 15 | Stockholm, SE – Annexet 18 | Cologne, DE – Carlswerk Victoria 19 | Tilburg, NL – 013 Poppodium 21 | Paris, FR – Le Trianon 23 | London, UK – Eventim Apollo 26 | Manchester, UK – O2 Apollo 27 | Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy OCTOBER 1 | Belfast, UK – SSE ArenaThe post Megan Moroney Already Adds New Dates To 2026 ‘Cloud 9’ Arena Tour Due To Overwhelming Demand first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

If you fancy yourself a fan of country music, then Lance Roark’s brand new record is mandatory listening. Hailing from the Eastern Oklahoma town of Tahlequah, Roark has spent the majority of his life in the same locale that produced the greatest band in all the land – the Turnpike Troubadours. Fittingly, he first met the band’s co-founder and bassist R.C. Edwards at an open mic in town, and the two quickly became frequent collaborators. Roark played in Edwards’ band RC and the Ambers during Turnpike’s hiatus, and when the band finally got back together, he landed a co-write alongside Edwards on A Cat in the Rain with “Chipping Mill.” A frequent opener for Turnpike on the road these days, Roark’s handiwork is also included on their latest record The Price of Admission with “Ruby Ann,” another co-write with Edwards. Even more recently, Roark co-wrote a track called “Grace” alongside both Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton of Muscadine Bloodline that landed on their Longleaf Lo-Fi record that dropped within the past few weeks. Now, I want to make it clear that I only provide this context in an effort to endear Roark to country music fans who aren’t knowingly familiar with his music, though likely huge fans of some of the artists that admire his work the most. The high-profile artists with whom he has collaborated of late serve as a vote of confidence in his ability as a musician, and he leaves no doubt of his talent in his original music. Especially not in his brand new album. Titled Bad Reputation, Roark’s debut record dropped a few weeks ago, and it is an absolute force to be reckoned with. Featuring 11 original tracks that are all written or co-written by Roark, Bad Reputation extends the classic hard-driving red dirt sound of his prior catalog to bolster some of his strongest songwriting and storytelling to date. It makes sense that the Turnpike Troubadours have taken such a liking to Roark, because he has proved in this record that he is capable of doing something that Turnpike and Muscadine Bloodline have mastered and few other artists have managed to achieve. Roark has an incredible ability to write about a very specific geographical location, and utilizes vivid imagery and tedious attention to detail, in an effort to paint a picture for the listener of a place they’ve likely never visited. But through universal themes and the introduction of larger-than-life characters, Roark’s music, though rooted in Oklahoma, is relatable to most everyone who listens. No matter where they reside. Five of these songs were co-written alongside Turnpike’s Edwards, and a couple more alongside Roark’s wife Hannah, as the track list weaves seamlessly through love songs and tales of coming of age in Oklahoma and memories made along the way. My personal favorite, “Melissa Texas,” is a road warrior’s lament centered around a map dot town artists from the region are all too familiar with due to its location along U.S. 75 connecting Eastern Oklahoma to North Texas. A blistering red dirt rock and roll record that showcases he and his band’s vast sonic prowess, the final track “Stay” is the most poignant, as it finds Roark slowing things down and leaving no doubt behind his availability as a more vulnerable singer-songwriter. All in all, Lance Roark continues to prove with each release and each co-write that he is a name worthy of being on every country music fan’s radar, and his most recent record Bad Reputation features some of his best work to date. Give a few of my favorites a listen below, but make sure to give the album a good listen all the way through. You will not be disappointed. “Melissa Texas” “Rose Quartz Perfume” “Stay” This should come as no surprise, but I’ve heard Roark and his band are absolutely killer live, so hopefully they announce some shows here in the near future to promote the new project. Until then, the recorded music will just have to hold us over, and I plan on wearing this album out in the meantime. While we’re on the subject of Roark, check out the aforementioned co-writes he’s participated in that have landed on recent Turnpike Troubadours and Muscadine Bloodline albums. “Ruby Ann” – The Price of Admission by Turnpike Troubadours (Roark, Edwards) “Grace” – Longleaf Lo-Fi by Muscadine Bloodline (Roark, Stanton, Muncaster) “Chipping Mill” – A Cat in the Rain by Turnpike Troubadours (Roark, Edwards) The post Lance Roark Proves He Is Here To Stay With Killer Debut Record “Bad Reputation” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.