She’s just a girl… Riley Green attended the American Music Awards this past weekend, in addition to performing, and he spoke with E! News on the red carpet ahead of the show, and he was asked about his upcoming role as a judge on The Voice. Riley will join for Season 30 of the reality singing competition show, where he will be joined by fellow judges Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and Queen Latifah, and the show is set to air sometime this fall. He says he just met Queen Latifah for the first time last weekend, and he has yet to meet Adam, so fans will really get to know each of them, and their dynamic as a whole, in realtime when the show actually airs. Of Queen Latifah in particular, Riley called her a “larger-than-life figure” he’s looked up to since childhood: “I’m so brand new, I met Queen Latifah yesterday. Kelly Clarkson sent me a message kind of taking trash about the show. And I haven’t met Adam yet, so I love that we’re gonna kind of meet each other and build that rapport in real time, you know, when we’re doing the show. It will be real when we start filming. Kelly’s definitely talked the most trash, so she’ll probably be tough. But I got to meet Queen Latifah and that was a big deal. She was a larger-than-life figure for me growing up.” And it sounds like Queen Latifah was pretty taken with Riley herself, as she was asked about him by Entertainment Tonight following her hosting gig at the AMA’s about meeting him, and she looked dead at the camera with the perfect facial expression before singing a line from Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue’s 1993 hit “Whatta Man.” Queen Latifah has been in a long-term relationship with choreographer Eboni Nichols for years, and the couple shares a son named Rebel, but she still has eyes and has pretty much the reaction every woman (and plenty of men too) has when the look at him, I think: “I did. ‘Whatta man, whatta man, whatta man…’ I’m gonna leave it alone.” She also said that she’s “cool” with all of the judges before the show starts, but once The Voice starts this fall, it’s game on: “Not yet. We cool until the show starts, and then it’s like, knives out.” It sounds like there’s gong to be some serious competition this season (as there should be for a show like this), and honestly, I’ve never, ever watched The Voice before, but I just might have to tune in this season to see what these new judges have got going on. It’s a pretty eclectic group, but I think it’s smart to have four such different artists with different expertise, and it might actually make the show somewhat interesting, so consider me intrigued: @rileygreenhq Same girl. Same. #rileygreen #queenlatifah #entertainmenttonight ♬ original sound – Riley Green Fans The full interview is available below. The post Queen Latifah Breaks Out Into “Whatta Man” In Response To Meeting Riley Green first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

It’s not the worst thing that went wrong while filming that movie, actually. Of course, Dolly Parton starred in The Best Little W****house in Texas in 1982 alongside movie star Burt Reynolds, and the film was co-written, produced and directed by Colin Higgins and was his final film as director. The movie was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Dolly was nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Dolly played Miss Mona, and she of course co-starred in the film alongside Burt Reynolds, who played Ed Earl, and Dolly and Burt became good friends off the set during the process of filming. The pair were often accused of having an affair, though Dolly has always denied those rumors. She has talked openly about their friendship, as they were both at low points in their lives when they met, and in her book Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business, Dolly addressed it, joking that they were “too much alike” to have ever been romantically involved: “There were the inevitable rumors that Burt and I were romantically involved, and one day, in an interview, somebody asked me if it was true. ‘Shoot, no!’ I said, ‘Burt and I are too much alike to be involved. We both wear wigs and high heels, and we both have a roll around the middle.’” But when she publicly denied the rumors back when the movie was first coming out, Burt was not too happy because he told her it would “destroy” the magic of the movie and people’s imaginations that they might’ve been more than friends in real life, too. Dolly said he was actually upset with her about it for a little while: “Well, Burt got wind of this quote and proceeded to give me a few of his own. ‘You’re destroying the magic,’ he said to me. ‘How are people going to think of us as an item for the sake of this movie if we go around bad-mouthing each other?’ Well, I hadn’t thought of it as bad-mouthing, and I told him so. I was just trying to make a joke.” In the book Dolly on Dolly, she called her relationship with him “sweeter than a love affair,” and eventually, he got over her joking that they were never in a romantic relationship, and used a similar joke on a talk show: “I know that Burt is a good sport, and looking back on it, I’m sure he was just a little extra sensitive at the time. He must have gotten over it because a year or so later on a talk show I heard him use the same joke.” She’s shared tons of great stories about their time together on that movie before, like how he ended up having to have a double hernia operation due to lifting her in the final scene, which they shot several times to make sure they had it right. But during that same end of the movie, the two share a kiss right before Dolly sings “I Will Always Love You” to him, and as it turns out, they had a bit of a mishap filming that part too. During an appearance on Des O’Connor Tonight in 1998, Dolly explained that Reynolds was getting some grey in his beard, so he had to die it black for the movie. But somehow it didn’t all get washed off, because Dolly revealed that it got all over her mouth the first time, and when they pulled back after the scene, the crew burst into laughter and she couldn’t figure out why… “One of the funniest things that happened on that movie, he was beginning to turn gray, he played the sheriff, I don’t know if you saw the movie. But he had to put black in his mustache, because when he grew his own mustache, he had some grey in it. And when we did our first big kiss on that ‘I Will Always Love You’ song, and when they pulled back the first time, they had to do it again because my mouth was just all black. And I couldn’t figure out what it was! And it was like, all of a sudden, everybody on the set just started laughing. It just looked like I had been sucking a sow, just so dirty, but it was pretty funny.” I’m sure Reynolds wasn’t mad that they had to do that part again… @partonnews Dolly Parton talks about filming The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Burt Reynolds on Des O’Connor Tonight in 1998. #DollyParton #Dolly #BurtReynolds #Dollywood #CountryMusic ♬ original sound – Dolly Parton News “I Will Always Love You” The post “Everybody Started Laughing”: Dolly Parton Explains the Mishap That Ruined Her Kissing Scene With Burt Reynolds first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Cody Johnson has CoJo Nation fired up with this new teaser. It’s been one heck of a 2026 for the “Dirt Cheap Singer” thus far. He won the Entertainer of the Year award at the ACMs earlier in May, and just a month prior, he let fans that have been patiently waiting for two years know that he’s got a new album on the way. Johnson officially announced his 10th studio album, Banks of the Trinity, will drop on Friday, June 26. Ahead of the release, the country music superstar has already treated everyone to three singles that certainly seem to be laying out a stellar album. “Hello Lonesome,” “Fool Proof,” and “I Want You” are already available for fans to listen to… but there’s one song that hasn’t come out just yet that’s got fans very excited. Cody Johnson took to social media earlier today to share a snippet of his forthcoming track “Take Me Back (Leave Me There).” We already knew that a song of that title was going to be featured on the upcoming project, but we haven’t gotten to hear it until now. The country singer shared the sneak peak and let fans know it’ll be available this coming Friday. It’s got the makings of the song of the summer: “You don’t have to make promises, You don’t have to go and take back that goodbye that you said, You can move on like a southbound, greyhound bus, Just lay me down in that memory of us. Take me back, and leave me there, Your blue jeans hanging off of your bedroom chair. Sun coming through the blinds, hands running through your hair, Baby take me back and leave me there.” View this post on Instagram Yeah… it’ll be easy to put that one on repeat and crack open a couple of cold ones, eh? Safe to say that Banks of the Trinity is is a very highly anticipated album, especially with what we’ve gotten to hear from it so far. Once Johnson shared this small sample of “Take Me Back (Leave Me There),” CoJo Nation went wild in the comments section and expressed their excitement for the new release: “Cannot wait… just made my day.” “Another one everyone in Texas is gonna be dancing to.” “I’m in love with this already.” “This was the news I needed today.” “Can’t wait to have this on repeat.” “Absolutely love it.” “Very different sound for CoJo… I like it!” “Once again another hit.” “I’m convinced CoJo doesn’t know how to miss.” I’ll confidently second that… Here’s the entire track list for CoJo’s upcoming album in case you wanted to check it out: Banks of the Trinity Tracklist “Horseback” “Hello Lonesome” “Fool Proof” (feat. Brothers Osborne) “Take Me Back (Leave Me There)” “Banks of the Trinity” “I Want You” “I Have” “Bible for a Boy (For Jaycee)” “Kissing a Married Woman” “Every Man” “Motel Miss You” “Shoot the Bull” (feat. Luke Combs) “Cricket on a Hook” “Time Bomb” “Thank Somebody Country” “Yippy Ty Oh Hey Hey” The post Cody Johnson Teases New Song “Take Me Back (Leave Me There)” & CoJo Nation Can’t Wait first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Luke has always had his finger on the pulse of country music. You can have your qualms about the entirety of Luke Combs‘ musical output over the past decade; however, you simply cannot deny that he has been nothing but a net positive in country music since his debut in 2017. Even if you ignore all the chart and sales success, which features him being the third-highest-selling country artist behind Morgan Wallen and Garth Brooks, having the 1oth-most #1 hits on country radio since 1990 and consistently selling out stadiums across the country, he’s also been a force for positive change as well. If you’ve been keeping a close eye on his career, you’re well aware at this point that Combs has been ahead of the curve when it comes to bringing out the best that the independent/alt country scene has to offer. From selecting Zach Bryan to open shows on his 2022 stadium tour to having the likes of Colby Acuff and 49 Winchester open throughout his Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour and most recently, joining Charles Wesley Godwin on his new track, “Better That Way,” the “Beer Never Broke My Heart” singer has always selected some of the buzziest indie artists to join him on his massive stadium tours over the past few years. Because of this and the massive success he’s been experiencing at the moment on his My Kinda Saturday Night Tour, I thought it was the perfect time to look back on some moments that proved that Combs had his finger on the pulse of country music and showed that he just gets it. 1. Enlisting Zach Bryan On His 2022 Tour As we sit in 2026, it’s pretty safe to say that Combs, Zach Bryan and Morgan Wallen are the “big three” in country music. Of course, Ella Langley is dominating everyone in the genre right now as arguably the biggest artist in all of music. It remains to be seen how sustainable Ella’s meteoric rise will be, but by this time next year, we could very well have a “big four” in the genre. But back in 2022, however, this was simply not the case. Though Bryan was undoubtedly hot at the time, already breaking out with DeAnn and just releasing his mammoth major label debut album, American Heartbreak, he was nowhere near the superstar he is today. Combs, being the savvy artist he is, grabbed the “Something in the Orange” singer early, allowing him to perform at stadiums, Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Lumen Field in Seattle and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in particular, before he’d end up selling them out himself (and making American history) a few years later. It’s not the most incredible pull, given that Bryan was already pretty buzzy, but you’d be hard-pressed to find another artist grabbing the “I Remember Everything” singer that early. 2. Forming A Unique Relationship With 49 Winchester Though there’s plenty of competition out there today, there’s no denying that 49 Winchester has emerged as one of the most talented bands in the alternative country/southern rock scene. Lately, especially with their partnership with Lucille Records (of MCA Records), the release of their brand new album, Changes of Plans and their first-ever nomination at the ACM Awards for Group of the Year, they’ve gotten some more mainstream attention. Combs, however, was on the 49 Winchester wave all the way back in 2022, famously rocking their t-shirt during a Rolling Stone photoshoot before enlisting them as openers on his 2023 world tour across the pond. Hilariously, frontman Isaac Gibson was first tipped off to the fact that Combs was a fan of their music when the band received an order from him, which he told us recently on the Whiskey Riff Raff Podcast. 3. Selecting Flatland Cavalry, Colby Acuff & Wyatt Flores As Openers Combs’ stellar track record with openers doesn’t just end with Bryan and 49 Winchester. Throughout the years, he’s also snagged some of the more slept-on artists that haven’t quite hit the highs of the “Oklahoma Smokeshow” singer. Though Flatland Cavalry and Wyatt Flores have been receiving more attention, with Flatland snagging three-straight ACM nominations for Group of the Year and Flores continuing to rise in the Red Dirt scene, pulling Acuff back in 2024 on the Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour was an incredible pull. For all intents and purposes, Acuff has remained one of the most slept-on artists and songwriters in the genre today, and the selection from Combs further proves how in-tune he has been with his opener choices. 4. Teaming Up With Charles Wesley Godwin, The Wilder Blue & Charlie Worsham Unlike most artists on this list, Godwin and Combs go way back. So far back, in fact, that Godwin opened up for the “Hurricane” singer all the way back in 2016 at a bar called Schmitt’s Saloon in CWG’s hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia. Years later, he’d open up for Combs once again on his aforementioned Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old stadium tour back in 2024. Obviously, the big event between the two came earlier in the month when they teamed up for “Better That Way,” which is not only a killer song itself but also allowed the West Virginian to chart his first-ever song on a Billboard chart, scoring a debut at #60 on their Country Airplay chart this week. Godwin has remained one of the best artists working today, and it’s been incredible to see Combs boost a long-time collaborator and help him score a major career accomplishment. .@CharlesWesleyG debuts a song on Billboard's charts for the first time in his career this week with "Better That Way," with @lukecombs. The song debuts at No. 60 on #CountryAirplay. — billboard charts (@billboardcharts) May 27, 2026   In 2023, after confessing to be a longtime fan of the band, he teamed up with The Wilder Blue on a cover of Steve Young’s “Seven Bridges Road” for their Super Natural album. And then finally, he teamed up with the super talented Charlie Worsham for “That’s How I Learned To Pray” in 2023 as well. Everyone working in country music knows and loves Charlie Worsham. He’s highly respected, incredibly talented, and just an all-around fantastic ambassador of country music. He’s written songs, played on records and joined touring bands during his career, however his solo work hasn’t quite garnered the attention it deserves. 5. TikTok, Comments & More This one’s a bit all-encompassing, but if you’re tapped into the underground scene within country music, on TikTok in particular, you’ll see Combs commenting on and supporting a plethora of different artists. Notably, he was found in the comment section of rising star, Kenny Whitmire, when he was having a viral moment with his breakout hit, “I Gave Her The Moon.”  In fact, Combs has talked at-length about this recently on the Zach Sang Show, saying he does this to encourage younger artists and boost their confidence: “Sometimes I’ll get stuff come across and it’s got 2, 300 likes on it, and I’ll fire a comment on it and I’m like, ‘Hey man, you’re unbelievably talented, you need to hear this.’ Not that my opinion really matters. I do it as a fan, but also I can’t imagine if 10 years ago, if Eric Church would have commented on my video and said, ‘Hey man, you’re super good.’ The confidence that would bring you or could bring a kid – is that the difference between them going, ‘Well should I give up or not?’ Even if it gets them another week of keeping going. In some ways it feels like a superpower, to be able to just go in and say, ‘Hey man, I’ve done what you did and I’ve made it to where I made it to, and just keep going.’” Additionally, you can find him commenting on other stellar bands in the alternative country/southern rock scene like Cigarettes @ Sunset, recently hyping up their new release, “Appalachian Raised,” which comes out this Friday. @gary1999_ App raised this Friday and I’m freaking out y’all #appalachia #lukecombs #countrymusic #boonenc ♬ Appalachian Raised – Cigarettes @ Sunset Luke Combs Tour Dates May 30 Parc Jean-Drapeau – Montreal, QC June 5 Rogers Stadium – Toronto, ON June 6 Rogers Stadium – Toronto, ON July 4 Ullevi – Gothenburg, Sweden July 7 Accor Arena – Paris, France July 11 Johan Cruijff ArenA – Amsterdam, Netherlands July 18 Slane Castle – Slane, Ireland July 19 Slane Castle – Slane, Ireland July 25 Scottish Gas Murrayfield – Edinburgh, UK July 31 Wembley Stadium – London, UK August 1 Wembley Stadium – London, UKThe post 5 Times Luke Combs Proved He Was A Great Champion For Underground Country Artists first appeared on Whiskey Riff.