Recognizing the true fans in a huge way. Of course, Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, is going through a lot in his personal life, as TMZ broke the news last week that he had filed for divorce from his wife Bunnie Xo, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, back on May 18 in Williamson County Chancery Court, just outside of Nashville. Whiskey Riff obtained a copy of the divorce complaint that was filed by the “Save Me” singer, which reveals that the couple separated on May 9, a week and a half before the request for a divorce was filed. He cites “irreconcilable differences” as the grounds for the divorce, which in Tennessee is a no-fault grounds for divorce that means that the parties agree on the terms of the separation. Bunnie subsequently released a tell-all episode of her Dumb Blonde podcast, where she revealed a lot of why they decided to split, addressed dating rumors and revealed that Jelly was already dating, and she also explained the straw that broke the camels back, so to speak, that led to the divorce papers being filed. In addition to all of that, Jelly is on the road opening for Post Malone on his stadium tour, all while playing his own headlining shows too. And during his concert at Maine Savings Amphitheater in Bangor, Maine, as part of his “Little Ass Shed Tour” over the weekend, Jelly spotted a familiar face in the crowd, and stopped the show to address them. Lauryn Roussel is a huge Jelly Roll fan, and Jelly said that he had seen her at no less than five shows already on this tour, “Right here, make sure she never buys a ticket to a show again. This is like the 6th show I’ve seen her at. You will never buy another ticket to my concert, ever. We will take care of that tonight. This is like the fifth time I’ve seen you on this tour. Thank you. This is so awesome. Thank you. I’m gonna have to change the set list just for you… I have to play you something different, right?” Lauryn shared the now-viral video on TikTok, saying that it was incredibly personal as her best friend had passed away in 2021, and she had asked her for a sign at the show that night, and boy did she get way more than she was expecting: “I am OVER THE MOON thank you so so so much, Jelly Roll. I know my best friend who passed on 12/24/21 is always with me. I spoke to her and said, ‘If you’re with me tonight, please get him to sign my book.’ I full on believe this is a sign from her. I cried. I thought I was going to puke and pass out. Best night of my life.” Simply incredible… No matter how you feel about Jelly’s music (I’m not really a huge fan myself), he has always treated his fans so well, and the fact that he not only gifted her free tickets for life, but even noticed her all those times to begin with, says a lot about the kind of artist he is. It’s an example many of them should follow, and the video has gone mega viral and now has over 11 million views: @laurynrou I am OVER THE MOON thank you so so so much @Jelly Roll I know my best friend who passed on 12/24/21 is always with me. I spoke to her and said “if you’re with me tonight please get him to sign my book” I full on believe this is a sign from her. I cried. I thought I was going to puke and pass out. Best night of my life. #concert #jellyroll #fyp #repost #love ♬ original sound – Lauryn Roussel Fans in the comments were blown away by his kindness, with many of them thinking she was in trouble at first (I did too, so I’m glad to see I wasn’t the only one): “Girl, I thought you were in TROUBLE.” “Not me thinking he was banning you from coming ever again.” “And for him to notice you 5 different times….” “The security guard was even confused… he was like, oh.” “The fact he notice you that many times.” “I thought he was telling someone they were no longer allowed to buy tickets… well I guess he did.” “He NOTICED you. Good job girl.” “How lovely is this.” “This is amazing!!! Congratulations.” “Who else thought she was in trouble? Lol.” “The fact that he remembered and recognized you.” “How freaking cool!” “That is not where I thought this was going at the beginning of the video.” It’s even more impressive considering how much is going on in his personal life. If I were Lauryn and my favorite artist gave me free tickets for life, you might as well consider me on tour too.The post “You Will Never Buy Another Ticket To My Concert, Ever” — Jelly Roll Stops Show In Maine To Reward Fan He Recognized From Multiple Shows first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Luckily it wasn’t worse than it was. Kane Brown suffered a gruesome injury on the golf course yesterday that not only forced him to miss his headlining performance at the annual Tight End University concert, but also required a trip to the hospital and 23 stitches – and could have been a lot worse than it was. In a since-deleted video posted to Instagram, Brown revealed that he was hit in the ear with a golf ball while golfing with a friend, clarifying that it happened from close range while his friend was hitting from the fairway right beside him: “About a 150 to 180 mph ball, a 3-wood slice.” (I won’t link the pictures in case you’re squeamish, but Kane also shared a photo to his Instagram story of his injury which you can see here if you want to check it out). Brown says that he had just enough time to turn his head so that the ball hit him in the ear, and that he’s lucky it didn’t hit a few inches forward or backward from where it did: “I wouldn’t be here.” Well after going to the hospital and receiving 23 stitches, Brown wanted to let fans – and his golfing buddy, who he says felt terrible about the incident – that he was alright, although he did end up having to not only cancel his appearance at the annual Tight End University show but also change up his travel plans for the weekend: “Supposed to fly out to Wisconsin, but I’m going to bus just so that the pressure don’t mess with my ear.” But he says overall, he’s lucky that it wasn’t worse than it was: “I guess technically the best possible place it could have hit me. But yeah, I’m just glad I’m here.” Amen. Hopefully it heals quick and he doesn’t have any further problems from the injury. At the Tight End University concert though, hosts Taylor Lewan and Will Compton announced that Brown wouldn’t be performing due to the injury, with Compton joking that “football guys” probably don’t believe he got a concussion while assuring everybody he was alright: @swiftieover50_mkk Tight End and Friends at TEU! #kanebrown #swifties @Taylor Nation @New Heights ♬ original sound – swiftieover50_mkk Tight End University is, of course, the annual three-day event in Nashville, Tennessee founded in 2021 by NFL stars George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Greg Olsen. The event gathers over 40 current and former NFL tight ends to participate in on-field drills, film studies, and community building every year. It’s become a pretty big event, and last year Kelce’s fiancée Taylor Swift even surprised everyone with a performance during the Tight Ends & Friends concert. This year, the show was billed as including Lainey Wilson, Kane Brown, Dan + Shay and Chase Rice… but Taylor also returned for another surprise performance. Lainey brought her out to cheering fans, where Taylor told the crowd that a “very special tight end” in George Kittle had requested for them to sing “Love Story,” so that’s what they did. She flashed her massive engagement ring from Kelce during the bridge, and of course, Lainey is recently married as of May, so I’m sure the two of them had a lot to talk about backstage in terms of everything that goes into planning a wedding (though Swift’s is obviously on a much different scale… there’s rumors she and Kelce are getting married at Madison Square Garden, though who knows if that’s true). Fans think Swift and Kelce were both separately celebrating their Bachelor and Bachelorette parties this past weekend, as some of her friends were spotted at her home in Rhode Island, while Kelce was in and around California with friends, including attending the NASCAR race in San Diego at Naval Base Coronado. Of course, “Love Story” was included on Taylor’s second studio album Fearless and released in 2008. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the first country song to reach number one on Pop Songs. It went to the top of the US Hot Country Songs chart too, and has been certified eight-times platinum by the RIAA and has sold over 18 million copies worldwide. Lainey is of course a huge star and one of the biggest country artists doing it right now, but I’m sure it had to be cool for her to get to perform with Swift, who I imagine she probably listened to a lot as a teenager just a few years younger than Swift, so it’s cool to see her on stage with the biggest pop star in the world. Check it out: @extra_tv Taylor Swift makes a surprise appearance at the Tight Ends & Friends concert, duetting on her hit “Love Story” with Lainey Wilson! #taylorswift #teu #laineywilson #lovestory ♬ original sound – ExtraTV “Love Story” The post Kane Brown Hospitalized, Forced To Miss Tight End University Performance After Needing 23 Stitches From Golf Accident first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Kenny is back. Despite it being over two years since his last album, Kenny Chesney has been experiencing quite the success lately. In 2025, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Couple that with being named Billboard’s Top Country Artist of the 21st Century, the seventh-most popular touring act of the millennium by Pollstar and becoming the first-ever country artist to headline the Las Vegas Sphere, the Tennessee native has been on a roll in his fourth decade in the genre. With his second stint at the Sphere kicking off last weekend and running through mid-July, Chesney has just announced his 21st studio album, Silver Sands Marina, is finally coming out on Friday, September 25th. View this post on Instagram Marking his first album under HEY NOW Records, Chesney will be teaming up with long-time producer Buddy Cannon on Silver Sands Marina. The “Summertime” singer will be featuring cuts from some of the biggest songwriters in Nashville on the project, including the likes of Tony Lane, Matraca Berg, Shane McAnally and the late, great Brett James, reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year, Jessie Jo Dillon, Tenille Townes and Adam Wright. Additionally, Colbie Caillat, Lily Meola and Megan Moroney are slated to be featured on the album. Discussing Silver Sands Marina, Chesney would describe it as going to some places he’s never gone before, also noting how it serves as an encapsulation of everything that he loves about music. “I love everything about music, but especially how it makes you feel. It can crack open a tough moment, lift you up, blow you up and make you laugh harder than anything. When I started thinking about all the things music can be, a few songs came in – and Silver Sands Marina, as it now exists, took shape. Some great players, guests who really fit the songs, but especially some places I’ve never gone.” In tandem with the album announcement, he’d drop the title track along with it today. Written by Johnny Clawson and Kyle Sturrock, the “Silver Sands Marina” feels like a tried and true Chesney track, complete with a chance encounter between two strangers underscored by his signature beach setting. In fact, it was the simplicity and honesty of the lyrics that made the Hall of Famer choose it as the title track, noting that it defines the album. “That’s the great thing about songs: they hold life like nothing else. As I was listening to the songs on this record, I realized ‘Silver Sands Marina’ defines the album. Beyond the story of these two people, this small, lakeside motel that’s existed for generations, it shows the reality that the things that matter actually exist beyond time or place; they’re timeless and always.” Additionally, the 58-year-old singer/songwriter would praise how well the song was written by Clawson and Sturrock, noting that it captures the magic that happens in the simplest places. “It is such a well-written song. You can smell the fall in the air, the lake and that solitude. Everyone’s so busy rushing, you miss most of the small details – and everything that happens around them. But in ‘Silver Sands Marina,’ not only do the details hold the song in place, they remind you that the magic happens in the simplest, realest places: you just have to be open to letting it happen.” Silver Sands Marina is out everywhere on Friday, September 25th, and you can listen to the title track below. “Silver Sands Marina” I Go Back 2026 Dates Wednesday, June 24 Friday, June 26 Saturday, June 27 Wednesday, July 1 Wednesday, July 8 Friday, July 10 Saturday, July 11The post Kenny Chesney Announces New Album, ‘Silver Sands Marina’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

As most fans know, Dolly Parton has been dealing with some health issues over the last year or so, and at the end of last year, she had to cancel plans for a Las Vegas residency due to those health issues, which were reported to be complications from kidney stones. It became an even bigger story when her sister asking for “prayers,” leading many to think the health issues were more serious than Dolly was letting on, and this video Dolly shared makes me wonder if that was maybe the case. Dolly has said before she has issues with kidney stones, and her procedure was likely related to that, but in addition, she lost her husband of nearly 60 years at the beginning of 2025, so surely that has been weighing on her, and the woman deserves a break… I don’t think she has stopped working since she first set foot in Nashville at 18 years old. But this afternoon, she shared a much lengthier video, confirming that she will have to cancel the previously-rescheduled dates in Vegas, which were set for this September, due to the ongoing health issues, which she’s been taking mediation for that makes her “swimmy headed” and dizzy. She opened by saying she has “good news and a little bad news,” with the good news being that she’s “responding really well to meds and treatments” and “improving every day”: View this post on Instagram Dolly’s other younger sister Stella, who is often quite outspoken on social media, and she previously addressed all of the fan interest in her sister’s health, in a much harsher way than Dolly. But in a more recent interview with People to talk about new music she has coming, after taking seven years off due to the grief of losing several of her siblings: “Growing up with so many siblings, we were very emotionally connected, and still are in a real emotional way. It’s a soul connection. So this whole thing was kind of like emotional paralysis for me in a strange sort of way. Grief has really been a writer’s block for me.” She has leaned on her sister, Dolly, during this seven-year span, and she says, at the end of the day, the only way they can really get through the hard days in life is to laugh, calling their sense of humor a “family trait”: “We just have to laugh and laugh at ourselves as much as we laugh at everybody else, because if you take it too serious, you can’t carry the load. Those are endorphins, just like exercise or sex or a good meal. I think that is a family trait.” Stella explained that she and Dolly talk on the phone early in the morning almost every day, referring to it as their “kaffeeklatsch,” which is a German word that describes an informal catch-up. Stella also assured fans that Dolly is “doing great,” and still full of her usual wit and jokes: “I say, ‘This is Sissy. I’m here for our kaffeeklatsch.’ And so we talk and have our coffee. She’s doing great. She’s very philosophical about everything as well, so we’re good. And if all else fails, we make a joke about it.” Stella says they get a lot of those traits from their mom, Avie Lee, who told her when she was a little girl: “I was exasperated with her and one of her behaviors and she said, ‘Now Stella, I’m just a little girl. I’ve just been here longer.’ In other words, give me a break. I’m not going to change now. And so I think that’s kind of our family trait. We’re always going to be children. But isn’t everyone?” I mean, it’s a great point… It’s great to hear that Dolly is doing well, considering her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, passed away in March of last year, which had to have taken a toll on Dolly, though it hasn’t slowed her down a bit. She’s still working on tons of projects, from her Threads: My Songs in Symphony show, her SongTeller Hotel in Nashville, her forthcoming Broadway musical, her new truck stop, beauty line, and so much more. The woman can, and does, do it all, but it’s obviously important that she take care of her health first and foremost, and it sounds like she’s doing just that. View this post on Instagram The post Dolly Parton’s Sister Says She’s “Doing Great” Following Health Challenges That Canceled Her Las Vegas Residency first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

In a heartfelt moment during a recent concert, Jelly Roll reminded us all how powerful a simple act of kindness can be. Continue reading…