Makes you think…that people are crazy. Honestly, I’m not sure whether this one is just somebody trolling, or whether people actually believes the wild stuff they post. But either way, it’s equally insane. A viral video posted by “The Fittest Flat Earther” claims that country music singer Morgan Wallen is actually…Dale Earnhardt. Yes, the NASCAR legend who died in 2001. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Dale Earnhardt was 49 years old when he tragically passed away on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Morgan Wallen, on the other hand, is only 32 years old. And, I can’t stress this enough, the biggest flaw in the conspiracy theory…Dale Earnhardt is dead. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but let myself fall down the rabbit hole and watch the whole video. So what’s the evidence that has somebody convinced that this 32-year old country singer is actually a now-74 year old former NASCAR driver who we were told has been dead for 24 years? Well buckle up, because it’s a wild ride. The biggest evidence he presents that Morgan Wallen is, in fact, Dale Earnhardt, seems to be their appearance. And sure, they do resemble each other. But this guy points out that their lips, mustaches, and noses are “exactly similar,” combining their photos and claiming that they look almost exactly alike. He then points out a scar that Dale Earnhardt had on his right cheek, while noticing that Morgan also suspiciously has a scar in pretty much the same location on his face. Makes you think, eh? Then there’s the way that Dale Earnhardt (supposedly) died: By hitting a wall. Wall, Wallen…get it? (I didn’t say it made sense, I’m just laying out the claims). It’s not just his last name though. The name Morgan is of Welsh origin, originally coming from the old Welsh word “Morcant,” meaning sea-circle, or “Great Circle.” You know what else is a great circle? Daytona International Speedway, where Dale Earnhardt was killed. See? It makes perfect sense now. The final piece of evidence that he cites is Morgan’s new song “Number 3 and Number 7,” from his latest album I’m The Problem which features Eric Church. Now, I’m not sure if he realizes that the “Number 3” in the title is quite literally a reference to the Intimidator: The song tells the story of a kid who learns the hard way that mixing “Number 3” – as in, driving like Dale Earnhardt – and Jack Daniels Old No. 7, doesn’t “add up to much good.” Not really a hidden meaning there, just a song referencing Dale Earnhardt as an example of somebody who drives fast…kinda like a thousand other country songs. Wallen also recently met Richard Petty, who was friends with Earnhardt, when NASCAR was in Nashville for the Cracker Barrel 500 last month. And what car number did Richard Petty drive? 43. What’s 4 + 3? Number 7. “Number 3 and Number 7.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Richard Petty (@therichardpetty) I told you it was a wild ride. Now, like I said, I’m not sure if this guy’s trolling or if anybody actually believes this. Morgan was born in 1993, nearly 8 years before Earnhardt was killed. It’s entirely possible that Morgan even WATCHED the race when Earnhardt lost his life. It’s just another example of the internet loving a good conspiracy theory, and this one appears to have started simply because they bear at least a passing resemblance to each other. I mean, could you imagine Dale Earnhardt walking out on stage to “Broadway Girls?” Yeah, me either. I rest my case. The post Is Morgan Wallen Actually Dale Earnhardt? Breaking Down The Internet’s Latest Ridiculous Conspiracy Theory first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

She's swinging into action after the devastating news. Continue reading…

Some songs were born sad. Others just needed a little twang and heartbreak to bring the pain out proper, like finding out your ex got engaged on Facebook while you’re halfway through your second Coors Banquet. There’s just something about a country voice, worn-in, whiskey-soaked, maybe one Marlboro short of giving up that can take a song you thought you knew and make it mean something. Not just louder. Not just different. Better. Whether it’s Willie Nelson turning Pearl Jam into a front-porch prayer, or Sturgill Simpson dragging Nirvana through a psychedelic honky-tonk haze, these country covers don’t just rework the original, they out-feel them. They slow it down, lean into the pain, and let the lyrics breathe like a fresh bruise. So grab a drink, light something if you’ve got it, and dive in. These are ten times country artists took a non-country song, broke it wide open, and gave it more soul than it ever knew it had. 1. Chris Stapleton – “Nothing Else Matters” Original artist- Metallica Metallica’s version is all thunder and drama. perfect for heartbreak and an angry bench press. But Stapleton strips away the amps, slows it down, and somehow makes it feel heavier. With that gravel-road voice and a whole lot of soul, Chris turns it into a late-night barroom prayer. It’s less metal, more mortal. And it hurts. 2. Willie Nelson: “Just Breathe” Original artist: Pearl Jam Let’s be honest. Pearl Jam’s original “Just Breathe” is a solid tune: moody and poetic, like watching a thunderstorm. But when Willie gets ahold of it? That song goes from “dorm room brooding” to existential front-porch goodbye letter. With his son Lukas harmonizing, it hits like something you’d hear at both a wedding and a funeral (probably after a few beers and a shared cigarette). No arena echo, no drama. Just two Nelsons, a guitar, and enough quiet truth to make you call your dad, or cry into your bourbon. 3. Sturgill Simpson- “The Promise” Original artist: When In Rome The original was pure ’80s: synths, shoulder pads, and soft boy energy. Cute? Sure. Emotional? Nah. Then Sturgill kicked down the door and played it like he’s the last drunk at the bar, crying into his High Life. With a steel guitar and his molasses-smooth voice, he doesn’t just cover it, he confesses it. The promise? He’s keeping it. Even if it kills him. 4. Sturgill Simpson (Again)- “In Bloom” Original Artist: Nirvana Sorry, Sturgill is just damn good at covers. Nirvana’s original was a loud, angsty grunge anthem teenage rebellion in ripped jeans. But Sturgill? He slows it way down, tosses in some horns and heartbreak, and somehow turns it into a cosmic cowboy eulogy. Where Kurt sneered, Sturgill aches. It’s not just a cover, it’s a transformation. Like swapping out a baseball bat for a bottle of bourbon and saying, “Let’s talk about it instead.” 5. Atlantic City- “The Band” Original artist: Bruce Springsteen Springsteen’s original is haunting in its own right, bare-bones and burned out. But The Band took that  acoustic skeleton, gave it whiskey breath and road dust, and turned it into something you can feel in your chest. It’s not just sad, it’s Southern Gothic sad. Like the kind of song that plays when the job went sideways, the money’s gone, and you’re too tired to run. 6. White Buffalo- “House of the Rising Sun” Original artist: Animals The Animals’ version is legendary: British blues with a sneer. But The White Buffalo rolls in like a dusty preacher with a secret, and suddenly it’s not a song, it’s a sermon! His voice is deep enough to bury you, and the whole thing feels like the soundtrack to your last mistake. The Animals warned you. The White Buffalo? He convicts you. 7. Cody Jinks- “Wish You Were Here” Original Artist: Pink Floyd Look, nobody’s topping Pink Floyd. That song’s basically therapy for dudes who’ve felt feelings once. But Cody Jinks gives it a shot and damn if he doesn’t make it sound like it belongs on a bar jukebox right next to your heartbreak. He takes all the floaty, acid-induced sadness of the original and pours it into a glass of something strong. It’s less acid trip, more “I miss you, but I ain’t texting first.” Respect to the legends, but Cody’s version? It’ll hit just right around beer number five. 8. Lucinda Williams- “Here in California” Original artist: Kate Wolf Kate Wolf’s version was soft, pretty, and polite—like sorrow with a cup of tea. But Lucinda Williams shows up with a bottle of Jack, a pack of smokes, and a broken heart that’s still bleeding. Where Kate mourned, Lucinda wails. Her voice doesn’t sing so much as confess. It’s less about remembering California… and more about never really leaving it behind. 9. Ryan Adams- “Wonderwall” Original artist: Oasis We all know the original: the most overplayed acoustic bro-anthem of the ’90s. Good luck finding a college dude who didn’t ruin this song at a bonfire. But Ryan Adams takes it, slows it down, and finds the sadness buried beneath all the swagger. It’s quiet. It’s painful. And somehow, for the first time, “Wonderwall” actually hits like a breakup that stuck around. Even Noel Gallagher admitted: “He turned it into a song I actually want to sing.” Hell froze over. 10. Emmylou Harris- “Wrecking Ball” Original artist: Neil Young Neil’s original was already haunted, like he recorded it at 3 a.m. with a single candle and a ghost watching from the corner. But Emmylou took it, stripped it down, and sent it straight to the haunted heavens. Produced by Daniel Lanois, her version floats like a hymn from a fever dream. Where Neil sounded tired, Emmylou sounds wrecked, like she’s trying to pray her way out of something she knows she ain’t coming back from. It’s not just country. It’s biblical. So next time someone tells you country music’s all trucks and beer (which, okay, fair sometimes), pour ’em a drink, cue up one of these covers, and show them how real hurt sounds, with steel guitars, smoke in the air, and more soul than a midnight confession. Cheers to sad songs, great covers, and drinking through the feels.The post 10 Country Music Covers That Hurt Better Than The Original first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

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'I encouraged him to have his own voice. 'Sing like you sing,'' Atkins says in a new interview with Taste of Country. Continue reading…