Let’s rodeo. RodeoHouston is one of the biggest rodeos in America, as it takes over NRG Stadium for the twenty-day event. While the event features some of the top rodeo talent in the nation every night, it also offers many other attractions. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo features carnival rides, wine gardens, shopping, a Rodeo Run, and more. It’s truly an event that has something for everyone in the family. But every night, as the sun sets, everyone gathers in NRG Stadium to watch the main event- the rodeo and the concert accompanying the performance. Each night, between watching the top bareback riding, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping, and women’s barrel racing and breakaway roping, attendees of RodeoHouston also get to watch some stellar musical acts. Each year, the rodeo brings together stacked lineups, which often lean heavily towards country music—because we all know that rodeoing and country music go hand in hand—but also offer some variety from other genres as well. Last year’s lineup included performances from Reba McEntire, Journey, Riley Green, Charley Crockett, Post Malone, Brad Paisley, Cody Jinks, Zach Top, and more. If you thought that last year’s lineup was solid, buckle up, sports fans, because today, January 8, RodeoHouston dropped its 2026 schedule, and it’s wicked good. Riley Green gets the party going on the opening night of the rodeo, March 2. The stellar country acts keep going for the remainder of the rodeo with Rascal Flatts, Dwight Yoakam, Megan Moroney, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, the Red Clay Strays, Lainey Wilson, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Parker McCollum, Koe Wetzel, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan and more. And for those readers who may not love country music, they’ve got you covered with Creed, Kelly Clarkson, Lizzo, and others hitting the stage. View this post on Instagram I mean, holy hell, that is a lineup. View this post on Instagram Chris Boleman, president and CEO of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, feels like the lineup is a “truly a reflection of both our Western roots and the vibrant footprint of the Houston community.” Amen to that. These tickets will move fast, so if you see a day that you’d like to attend, be sure to act fast. Tickets go on sale January 15th, with Wave 1 going on sale at 10 am for March 2-11 performances. Wave 2 goes on sale at 2 pm for performances from March 12-21. FULL LINEUP:  Monday – March 2 – Riley Green Tuesday – March 3 – J Balvin Wednesday – March 4 – Rascal Flatts Thursday – March 5 – Russell Dickerson Friday – March 6 – Lizzo Saturday – March 7 – Dwight Yoakam Sunday – March 8 – Forrest Frank Monday – March 9 – Luke Bryan Tuesday – March 10 – Megan Moroney Wednesday – March 11 – Creed Thursday – March 12- Chris Stapleton Friday – March 13 – Shaboozey Saturday – March 14 – Kelly Clarkson Sunday – March 15 – Pepe Aguilar Monday – March 16 – Cross Canadian Ragweed Tuesday – March 17 – The Red Clay Strays Wednesday – March 18 – Koe Wetzel Thursday – March 19 – Lainey Wilson Friday – March 20 – Parker McCollum Saturday – March 21 – Tim McGraw Sunday – March 22 – Cody Johnson with special guests Jon Pardi & Randy HouserThe post Cody Johnson, Red Clay Strays, Ragweed & More To Perform At RodeoHouston first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Kelsea Ballerini is mourning the loss of her longtime furry companion, Dibs. Continue reading…

No surprise so many artists want to record one of his songs. Eric Church has cemented himself as one of the best to ever do it in country music, not just because of his high-energy live shows or his deep catalog, but for his mastery of the increasingly-lost art of songwriting. When Church first moved to Nashville in a two-tone Chevy Blazer from his home state of North Carolina, it wasn’t to become a country music superstar but rather because he wanted to pursue a career as a songwriter. He worked tirelessly to hone his craft, surrounding himself with the best songwriters in Music City. During an interview on the How Leaders Lead with David Novak podcast, Eric discussed moving to Nashville and finding “his tribe” that helped him out with the art of songwriting: “I walked in this bar. They were like, ‘Hey, that guy’s been doing it for 30 years, he’s wrote for Waylon, he wrote this song for George Jones.’ I just walked up, new kid, introduced myself. And he took a liking to me, and he started introducing me to all the old dogs in town. The guys that were really committed to their craft. It wasn’t just about writing a song and releasing a song. It was about crafting a song. And even if it never made any commercial success at all, knowing your craft and being the best at your craft and working at that craft allows you a chance to have so much more success. And he introduced me to all these old writers that had been doing it forever. That was my workshop. That was my woodshed. Everyday I would go write with these guys, and I got better, and I got better, and I got better. And I learned that it’s not just about sitting down and writing an idea. It’s about crafting that. It’s about understanding the craft of songwriting, and understanding the business that I was in, with the best in the world. It was invaluable to me to be able to have that time and go in rooms with these guys, and learn, and watch, and be involved in it. As I look back on my life and my career, that’s maybe the greatest thing that ever happened to me.” Obviously a big part of his success as an artist can be credited to his incredible songwriting. Church has written or co-written all but a handful of songs that he’s recorded over his two-decade career in country music, something that not many artists (and especially artists with mainstream success) can say these days. He’s also written a ton of songs that will likely never see the light of day (at least not in the studio), but along with those unreleased gems there are also quite a few songs that Church has written that were eventually recorded by other artists. From Morgan Wallen to the Zac Brown Band, here are several songs written by Eric Church and recorded by other artists that may surprise you: “The World Needs A Drink” – Terri Clark Written by Eric Church and Casey Beathard. This was Church’s first hit as a songwriter, released two years before his debut album Sinners Like Me. And 22 years later, Casey Beathard is still one of Church’s most frequent collaborators (and one of the best songwriters in country music history – I’ll die on that hill). “Whiskey Wings” by Dean Miller Written by Eric Church and Dean Miller. For those who don’t know, Dean Miller is the son of country music legend Roger Miller. “Quittin’ Time” by Morgan Wallen  Written by Eric Church, Luke Laird, and Josh Thompson. “My Song Will Never Die” by Luke Combs Written by Eric Church, Travis Meadows and Jonathan Singleton. “Jacksonville To Jackson Hole” – The Wild Feathers Written by Eric Church and Casey Beathard. “Don’t Blame It On Whiskey” – Jon Pardi and Lauren Alaina Written by Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Luke Laird and Michael Heeney. “We Were” – Keith Urban Written by Eric Church, Ryan Tyndell, and Jeff Hyde.  After the song was released in 2019 as the lead single from Urban’s The Speed of Now Part 1 album, a duet featuring Eric himself was recorded and released as a bonus track. “Life Off My Years” – Lee Brice Written by Eric Church, Michael Heeney, Jeff Hyde. “Wildfire” – Zac Brown Band Written by Eric Church, Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Liz Rose, Clay Cook. “All Alright” – Zac Brown Band Written by Eric Church, Zac Brown, Jimmy De Martini, Wyatt Durrette, John Driskell Hopkins. “You, Me And The River” by Chris Janson Written by Eric Church. Eric is featured on this one, so it might not comes as a surprise that he wrote it, but the surprise is that it was actually a solo-write from Eric… pretty rare these days. It’s also a great song. The post Beyond The Chief: 11 Songs You Might Not Realize Were Written By Eric Church first appeared on Whiskey Riff.